Start of Something New
by Kroissant
Summary: It began with a sudden kiss. And just like that, nothing was the same again. The project, Tales of Vesperia, comes to a close and Estellise Sidos Heurassein, 20 years old novice actress, begins to question her partnership with her co-star, the A-list actor, Yuri Lowell, 22 years old. The door to romance opens a whole new world of possibilities for them...but for how long?
1. 1-A Story Ends and A Journey Begins

After weeks of preparation and rehearsing, the final day for the project came.

The instructions were simple—be true to yourself but stay in character.

From one heart-to-heart discussion to the next, it seemed like for a moment, the main cast would stop and get real with each other and be themselves—a defining moment which only intensified their subtle growth and close bonding.

And at long last—after the many panoramic shots of the long, winding valleys and natural landscapes, of the careful practice among the actors, the long-anticipated scene between the male lead, the swordsman and his female co-star, the Child of the Full Moon arrived.

Omitting the occasional line slips, laughing from their mistakes, tripping over feet, or making funny faces on the camera and tickle fights – after the fifty take, the crew members finally managed to get the two main leads to cooperate with them. So far, everything was running smoothly. And yet, at the same time, the anticipation for the scene to end was definite. Of all the frames, they've shot through the course of their year-long project, this last and final scene proved to be difficult and challenging.

There were no Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) effects for additional support

No voice-overs in the recording studio to deliver lines for the infamous skits.

No special effects for magical spells and cutscenes.

No intense choreography or frenzy battle scenes.

No indirect or direct cinematic headshots.

No green screens in the background.

No gathering of a large group.

No usage of any props.

Just two actors, the subtle tinker of music (dare they say, romantic?) in the background, the profound blessing of nature, a functioning camera and nothing more.

The camera refocused on the two actors delivering their lines accordingly to the script. Through the careful and precise use of their body language—the head tilts, the light-hearted laughter shared between them and the routine exchanges of smiles—the Director and the crew's vision of this particular scene was slowly coming to light.

All alone and just the two of them under the watchful eye of the moon and the stars—it was indeed an ideal capture of private intimacy and closeness. And of course, the actors themselves were at the peak of their elements.

 _"…Close in."_

The camera zooms in on the pair standing adjacent from the other.

"…It's strange. Right now, I'm not scared at all." The pink haired female declared, her eyes trained on the horizon, her expression solemn but gentle. "If anything, the thought of a new world about to dawn is…"

As she trails off, her partner takes this as his cue to deliver his lines. "The Adephagos won't kill us." He reaffirmed to her as he too looked up to stare at the horizon. "We'll live on."

Hearing this, the female lifted her chin and turned her head, facing him. She collected her hands together, tying them in a firm grip over her puffy white-pink dress, accentuated with gold markings. Inhaling a deep breath, she proceeded to deliver her next few lines in a soft, gentler tone. "And I'll be able to stay with everyone." She replied back to him with a faint smile. "With you."

The two locked eyes and stared at each other for a long moment. Passive ebony orbs taking solace with warm seafoam.

 _"…Focus in."_

The camera zooms in on Yuri and lingers for five consecutive seconds. After that came Estelle, followed by another five consecutive seconds. Neither spoke nor moved, their expressions passive with no restraint.

 _"…Zoom out."_

After the quick headshots, the camera slowly zooms out to its original frame of the two actors once more.

With another light-hearted smile, his partner lowered her chin and closed her eyes.

"Thanks," The long-haired swordsman answered, not seeming to take his eyes off of her. His voice softer than usual. "I feel the same way." He then sets his sights across the starry heavens. "Let's get it over with," He adds in, his tone brimming with vigor. "and live on in a future we choose."

In response to his uplifting words, Estelle slightly tilts her head and light-heartedly agrees.

A buzzing sound ensues from the background.

Unfazed by the noise, the two actors continue to stare at each other for another five consecutive seconds, never breaking eye contact.

And with the addition of three long beats, the screen proceeds to gradually fade to blank…

* * *

"And…CUT!"

Hopping out of the black folding chair which read, 'The Director', the short bearded man adjusted the black beret situated on his bald head. With the rolled script gripped in one hand, he proceeded to flap his arms up and down rather immaturely. "ALRIGHT!" He cried, his cheeks somewhat flushed from having to exhort his voice out loud. "THAT'S A WRAP, PEOPLE!"

A multitude of cheers and applause rang throughout the outskirts of the valley.

Estelle flinched at her spot, albeit surprised by the Director's sudden announcement.

Yuri, on the other hand, heaved a sigh, remaining unfazed by the current situation.

In no less than a minute, the vast crowd of crew members flocked toward them to congratulate them on a job well done.

"Excellent job as always!"

"Man, you really had me in tears!"

"That was so romantic~"

Estelle nervously laughed, bashful but accepting of their unanimous comments. "Well, we did what we could." She told them, sneaking a glance at her co-star standing beside her. "Right, Yuri?"

Yuri nodded his head in agreement. He then raised his hand up high, though not too high as to not let her jump and fall over like last time.

Estelle beamed at the sight. "Yay!" She cried, slapping her hand over his and performing a tiny twirl around him. "We did it, we did it!"

"We sure did." He agreed with her, his grin widening at her childish antics.

Not wanting to bother their privacy, the crew members silently retreated back, merging with the background as they so often do.

"THIS CALLS FOR A CELEBRATION!" The Director exclaimed through his yellow megaphone, his tiny glasses slightly tilted prior to his swift motions. Earning a wave of shrieks and applause, he continued, "STARTING TOMORROW, WE LEAVE THIS HELL HOLE TO DUST AND FLY BACK HOME!"

"Well, you heard the old man," Yuri grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Least we're finally done with everything." And turned, heading back to the entrance of the staged town entitled 'Aurnion'. Taking note of the latter's absence beside him, he halted in his steps and peered over his shoulder. "Estelle, you coming?"

Estelle blinked. "Oh, uh…yes!" She squeaked, a bit embarrassed from spacing off.

After exchanging goodbyes, goodnights and a few positive comments to the nearby staff and camera crew, she hastily made her way over to her awaiting partner. Once they were in close proximity with each other, Yuri turned his back and walked forward, leading the way.

"You did pretty well back there," He commented, catching her off-guard.

Estelle puffed her cheeks. "Don't be so modest." She sighed, turning away to avoid eye contact with him. "I'm not as talented as you are, Yuri." Thinking it over, she shook her head. "Well, not just you but everyone else here. Flynn, Rita, Raven, Judith…and then there are the veteran actors like Don Whitehorse and Yeager…even Karol whose only framework up to this point was performing in kid shows." She went on, "You all are so level-headed. You all know what words to say and how to use subtle movements to an advantage."

"Yeah but you also excelled pretty well. And you're only just a novice actress." Yuri points out, "And that's saying something."

Estelle bitterly smiled. "It took a while for me to finally get around and be accustomed to it." She confessed, feeling embarrassed. "But you and the others, you do it so naturally."

"We all need to start somewhere. And since this is your first time in a big production, it's definitely worth the learning experience." Yuri explained. "My resume might make me look professional with a lot of experiences, but really, I'm still learning as I go." He turned to look at her with a lop-sided grin. "And I really learned a lot this whole year tackling this project with all you guys."

Estelle's lips slowly curved upwards. "Couldn't have said it better myself." Smiling, she took a few steps ahead, paused to stand right in front of him and respectively bowed her head. "But, really, I cannot thank you enough. For these past few months, you've been a wonderful teacher to me."

"Don't thank me," Yuri stated flippantly with a dismissive wave. "That was all you."

Estelle rolled her eyes. "You're being modest again."

"I'm not!"

It was no secret that for the past whole year since they tackled the project, the main leads—Yuri Lowell (22) and Estelle Sidos Heurassein (19-20) became very close to each other. As instructed in the script, it was highly recommended by the Director that they should get used to each other's company. Since their characters shared the majority of the spotlight together, it made sense for them to practice their choreography and rehearsing their lines. Much to the Director's surprise, on the first day they were recruited, the two immediately got along pretty well.

A year later and the two are still inseparable.

Due to their closeness, this spawned an on-going rumor among the staff. Their attraction with each other off-screen was undeniable, certainly off the charts. And there was no doubt that the two captured their characters perfectly in sync. Time and time again, the pair would simply dodge the question, change the topic or like what Yuri usually does, flat out reject the idea at the spot.

But by the end of the day, was their natural affinity simply just for acting…or was there something more going on behind the scenes?

Too engaged in their conversation, the two actors failed to notice that they were already a few feet away from the small wooden house which served as their temporary place to sleep and relax.

"Oh! We're already here?" Estelle asked, skidding to a halt in front of the door.

Yuri shrugged. "Guess so."

Estelle sheepishly grinned. "We must've been so caught up talking."

In response, Yuri devilishly smirked. "Oh? And who's fault is that?"

Estelle stuck out her tongue.

Seeing this, Yuri laughed.

A barrage of shouts and the clanking of heavy metal pierced their ears, grabbing their attention.

"W-what was that?"

"Beats me," Yuri replied, squinting his eyes through the window. "Maybe they're up to something again."

Through the glass-tinted window, the pair silently acknowledged the presence of their friends and the other cast members inside—Karol, Patty, and Nan sitting on the floor, wearing their pajamas, currently playing a board game against Judith (currently in possession with a Ba'ul plushy), Duke and Repede. On the other side of the room was a large group—and from the looks of it, they could spot a short brunette and a blue-skinned aquatic woman standing on top of one of the tables. Surrounding Rita and Undine were stunt-men, extras dressed as random guild members and the Imperial Knights. At the very heart of the mass of the crowd was a table.

"Is that Flynn arm wrestling the Don?" Estelle questioned, quite taken aback by the sight.

Yuri let out a whistle. "Twenty bucks on the Don."

Estelle smiled, followed by a light giggle. "You're hopeless." She said, lightly smacking him on the chest. She then leaned forward, her eyes twinkling with excitement as she looked on through the window.

Across Rita's table was Raven and President Kaufman partaking a drinking game together with the main 'antagonists'—Yeager, Cumore, Ragou, Barbos, and Alexei.

Not too far away from where their respective table was Zagi, Clint and Tison engaged with their electronic devices. From the looks of it, they seemed to be sharing photos of their respective pets.

Speaking of electronic devices, there was Ioder together with Sodia, Witcher, LeBlanc, Adecor, and Boccos posing in different positions with Khroma as their designated photographer.

"I wonder what the viewers might say if they ever saw this," Estelle commented sheepishly. She then motioned her head to face her partner, only to be surprised to catch him staring at the window with a pained expression.

Worried, Estelle called out his name.

Blinking, Yuri swiftly turned to face her. "Did you say something?"

Estelle frowned, her brows furrowing. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing…I just…" He trailed off, unsure of what to say next. Sighing, he mumbled, "So, this is it, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"You heard the old man." He continued, his eyebrows furrowing with uncertainty. "After this, we head on back to the real world."

Registering his words, Estelle lowered her head, her eyes downcast. "I see." Though her expression remained neutral, it was the minor details—the slight quivering of her lips and her glassy eyes—that Yuri took note of. "I, too feel the same way."

Yuri slanted his head to the side, confused. "You do?"

Estelle bobbed her head. "I also wish to continue this project forever." She admitted to him with a forlorn look. "The friends I made here have now become a part of my family. The memories we made here are so precious and fleeting. Sometimes, I wish I could just turn back time and relive them." At the thought of being separated from her friends—her family made her stomach queasy. "I really don't know what I'll do without all of you."

Yuri nodded. "Yeah." He agreed, setting a hand on his left hip. "It's gonna be weird being all alone again."

"You have Repede." Estelle points out, shedding some positivity in their sensitive topic. "And isn't Flynn your actual childhood friend?"

At the mention of his canine companion and male confidant, Yuri flashes a crooked grin. "Yeah, but they're not exactly the type to get easily made fun of."

Estelle rolled her eyes. "Oh, you're mean!" And raised her arm high to lightly smack him on the shoulder. Before her hand could brush past his shoulder, Yuri caught hold of her wrist in the nick of time, pulling her forward.

Flustered, Estelle shut her eyes closed, inhaling a deep breath. She set her gloved right fist over her thumping heart, her cheeks turning beet red as the distance between them turned to a close.

Estelle blushed harder as she caught wind of his laugh, the vibration causing his chest to softly rumble. He secured an arm over her waist, bringing her close to him, earning a light squeak.

Resting his chin on top of her head, he sighed heavily. "I'm gonna miss you." He murmured through her hair.

Hearing this, Estelle relaxes, her stiff shoulders gradually reverting to its natural degree. Leaning her head forward, she brushed her cheek along the fabric of his dark tunic. She breathed him in before sighing in content. "I know." She replied back, her words a bit muffled. "Me too."

And they remained still for a while.

Neither spoke nor dared to move.

Contented, Estelle breathed in his natural lavender scent before closing her eyes. She slowly smiled, allowing for the sound of his equally rapid heartbeat lulling her to sleep…

"We should head back inside." She advised him.

No response.

"Everyone's waiting for us." She added in, smiling sweetly. "And there's also that long-awaited celebration the Director speaks so highly of."

Still no response.

Releasing her hold from him, she slowly propped her head upwards. "Ready to go, Yu— "

He leaned in, softly pressing his lips against hers, silencing her from speaking any further.

* * *

 **Hello! How are you? My name is Kroissant!**

 **This is my first time tackling a game-contented fanfiction (in response to Vesperia definition!). Hopefully, I was able to get the characters to stay in character, though the whole point of this alternative AU was to break it since this one, in particular, focuses on them being actors.**

 **Once more, it's based on the question 'what if they are actors?' along with many 'Yustelle' moments. I'm planning on making this series but for now, we'll see how popular it gets/if my interests are still fresh on this idea.**

 **So far, what I know is that the POST-game from TOV would delve in reality so we'll have real countries and cities like Japan and Tokyo taking on as the replacement settings. Overall, what do you guys think?**

 **Again, it's wonderful to be here!**

 **Feel free to comment on what you think!**

 **Updates are still up in the air!**

 **P.S. - recommended song: the full moon and the evening star (TOV ost)**

 **P.S.S. - dialogue, in the beginning, comes from Yustelle Heart-to-Heart**


	2. 2-Bottled Up

The kiss was brief and simple.

Warm and inviting, yet somehow spicy and exhilarating—just like him.

Thirty seconds passed and they finally separated, bringing their moment to a close. The pair remained in place, their arms wrapped around each other for support. Their heartbeats, once thrashing wildly had eventually subsided, blending evenly to a steady, rhythmic percussion. Ebony and seafoam eyes, both clouded with uncertainty and hesitation, firmly locked in unity.

Estelle shut her eyes, breaking their contact. Inhaling a deep breath, she pressed her gloved fist to her chest in an effort to reduce her distorted breathing, her brain going haywire.

Meanwhile, Yuri fixed his gaze on her slightly chapped lips.

"I…uh…" Tripping over her words, Estelle lowered her head in embarrassment.

"Yeah?"

Estelle opened her mouth to say something, only to close it again. She slowly peered up only to witness him leaning forward, his dark eyes narrowed as if searching for something on her face. From the looks of it, it seemed like he was about to swoop in and steal a second kiss from her.

Clenching her gloved fists, she braced herself…only to feel the same soft lips lightly pressed on the crook of her temple. Although it was incomparable to the first kiss, it was still enough to send her heart aflutter.

Withdrawing back, Yuri caught sight of her dumbstruck expression and chuckled. "What's with that weird look on your face?"

Estelle flinched in her spot. "What…I…" She turned beet red, mentally cursing herself for being unable to deliver her words properly. "It's just…"

Amused, Yuri cracked a lop-sided grin. "Yeah?"

"I thought…well," She stammered, still refusing to look at him in the eye. "you…that is…"

"Oh, you want more?" Yuri suggested, wiggling his eyebrows and licking his lips in a seductive manner. "'Cause if you want, I'll be more than glad to— "

Hearing this, Estelle quickly shook her head. "T-that's not what I signed up for!" She exclaimed, frantically raising her arms high in defense. "O-once was quite enough!"

Her childish behavior caused the latter to laugh.

Estelle swallowed the lump in her throat, her heart beating twice as fast.

Yuri's laughter reduced to a simple smile. He then inclined his head a little more until their foreheads touched. Sighing, he held her close. He tightened his arms around her, though with less exertion as he was afraid to hurt her.

Noting her chilled skin, Yuri leaned in her ear and whispered, "You should go inside." As he said those words, he began removing his arms around her thin waist, his eyes never leaving hers. "It's getting pretty cold."

Estelle lowered her gaze, feeling a bit disappointed now that he was no longer sharing his warmth with her. Lifting her chin, she faced him once more. She creased her eyebrows, her voice faint and gentle. "…You're not coming?"

Yuri thought for a moment. "I was thinking…" He began, "since this is our last day here, might as well walk around and memorize the place."

"May I join you?" She asked, enclosing her hands together and placing them behind her back.

Folding his arms over his chest, Yuri smirked. "If you do, I might not be able to hold back this time." And flashed her a suggestive wink. "If you know what I mean."

Realizing the meaning of his words, Estelle blushed harder.

Yuri laughed. "Go on." He urged her, gesturing his chin to the general direction of the small wooden house. "I'll see you in a bit."

Estelle bit her lip, hesitated. Nevertheless, she meekly nodded and answered with a soft, "Okay," and quietly began walking away. Once she was at arm's length with the door, she paused to peer over her shoulder.

Yuri gave her an assuring smile.

Estelle didn't respond, turning her focus back at the door in front of her, opening it and entering inside.

Once she walked inside the house and closed the door, Yuri finally released the breath he'd been holding in. Now alone, he was left to drown in his own thoughts. He furrowed his eyebrows, his frown getting deeper by the minute.

Raking through his hair, he groaned.

"The hell was I thinking?"

* * *

"Estelle! You're back!"

Estelle's head shot up, her eyes and ears on high alert. She looked around the chaotic area in search for the voice calling for her. Lowering her gaze, she finally spotted a tuft of brown and golden yellow enter her line of vision.

"Oh, hello!" She greeted her younger friends with a forceful grin on her face.

"We've been looking all over for you, you know?" Patty joined in, looking up to meet eyes with her. She slanted her head to the right and then left before pursing her lips. "Where's Yuri?"

At the mention of her partner, Estelle tightened her grip on her hands. "Oh, he's still outside." She then turned her attention to the older male of the group. She flashed a toothy smile at him, accompanied by a friendly wave.

In response, the long white haired male respectfully bowed his head, acknowledging her presence before reverting his focus on moving a tiny red piece across the multi-colored board.

Satisfied, Estelle went on to greet the blue canine who's sprawled rather lazily across the ground. His front white paws merely about an inch away from touching the hilt of her boots.

Retreating one step back, she mimicked the same friendly gesture as she did with Duke. "Hello, Repede!" She greeted.

Repede tipped his head to face her. With the absence of his signature pipe, he casually opened his mouth to emit a loud whine. Afterward, he turned his body over to face the board game once more, his head flopped down on his forearms.

Oh, well.

Estelle motioned her head. Her eyes grew wide. "Oh, Judith!" She cried, quite startled by the sudden appearance of a familiar blue-haired figure.

Judith, on the other hand, remained unfazed and smiled pleasantly. "You're so easy to scare, Estelle." She commented, leaning a bit closer.

Gulping, Estelle stood still in place and watched as her friend's piercing magenta eyes inspect her face as if searching for something. "Your face is red." She pointed out. Curious, she brought a hand and placed it over her temple. "Your forehead is burning. Is everything alright?"

Estelle hastily nodded. "Yes!"

Judith frowned. "You sure about that?"

Estelle nodded again.

The older woman speculated her a little more, still unconvinced. After much consideration, she finally accepted her answer. "Oh, alright." Once more, her playful grin returned on her face. With the wave of her arm, she motioned a hand to the small group situated on the floor. "Would you like to join us?"

Estelle peered over, quite interested. "What is it?"

Hearing this, Karol grabbed hold of a square-shaped cardboard next to him. "It's Clue!" He answered, presenting the cover so she could see. "It's a classic mystery game!"

"Wanna join us?" Patty added in, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "It's really fun!"

Estelle thought for a moment, frowning. "Where's Nan?"

"She went off to go to the restroom," Patty answered, though a bit preoccupied with the game at the moment. "If you want, you could take her place! I'm sure she won't mind!"

"No, that would be too rude." Estelle reasoned with her. "But I appreciate the offer." Excusing herself, she proceeded to take a few steps forward.

Upon hearing Karol and Judith call out her name, she stopped midway and turned. "Yes?"

"If you want, you can play in the next round!" Karol insisted, still not giving up.

"That sounds lovely but…" Again, Estelle shook her head. "I really should get going."

"Where are you going?" Judith asked, dropping the big question.

Estelle bit her lip as her friends laid their eyes on her, seeking for an appropriate answer. Even Duke and Repede stopped what they were doing and looked up as well, interested to see what she would say.

Feeling restless with the sudden attention, Estelle clenched her gloved hands into fists as she desperately tried to think of the best answer to provide them.

Growing concern, Judith called out her name again.

"I— "

" _Hey, what's going on here?"_

Estelle's heart stopped beating.

"YURI!" Karol and Patty cried, rising up from their spots on the floor and tackling him with glee.

"Woah, whoa!" Yuri exclaimed, laughing earnestly as he tried to adjust himself from the sudden mass of weight thrown at him. Regaining his balance, he let out a frustrated groan. "I just barely got inside!" He cried, a bit annoyed. "What's gotten into you two?"

Smiling, Judith approached him and explained the situation.

"A board game?" He smiled. "What is it?"

"Clue!" Karol and Patty cried in unison.

Yuri beamed. "Sweet! Count me in." From the corner of his eye, he took note of Duke who silently stared at him. He flashed a wink.

In response, Duke simply nodded and went back to his task at hand.

"Woof!"

"Repede!" Yuri greeted his blue canine companion, at the same time trying his best to keep himself steady from Karol and Patty's vine-like grip on both his arms. "Sup!"

Colors of pink and white blurred his vision.

Blinking, he turned the other way.

Yuri squinted his eyes, just in time to watch a fleeting silhouette ascend to the far corner of the room where the staircase was located. Due to the overabundance of noises—shouts, cheers, the clanking of glasses and heavy metal suits of armor—throughout the large room, it didn't seem like anyone took notice.

"Estelle's been acting strangely."

Yuri blinked, turning his attention on Judith.

Sensing his gaze on her, the blue-haired woman turned to look at him with the same worried look etched on her face. "Do you know what happened?"

Yuri furrowed his eyebrows, simply shrugging before motioning his head to look the other way.

* * *

Reaching the end of the narrow hall, Estelle abruptly skidded to a halt in front of her assigned dormitory. Gasping through ragging breaths, she then seized hold of her doorknob and twisted it open. Without warning, she entered through the door before turning back and closing it again.

 _THUMP._

 _THUMP._

 _THUMP._

Estelle shut her eyes as tightly as she could. She then placed a gloved hand over her chest, where her thrashing heart was located. "Be still now." She soothed her heart in an attempt to ease its rapid beating. "Be still."

Once she finally managed to calm herself, she sluggishly made her way to the right side of the room where her luggage and other possessions were scattered about. Taking her pink luggage, she opened it, pulling out a few clothing and garments before setting it back down.

Afterward, she staggered toward the bathroom, entering and closing it shut for some privacy.

A few minutes later, she exited out the door—this time wearing a simplistic yellow nightgown and white knee-length shorts with a flower-themed clip adorning the left side of her forehead. Plopping down on her bed, she sighed, holding her white and pink costumed dress close to her chest.

"Please, be still. Please." She whispered to her still thrashing heart, sinking her head deeper and deeper in the soft fabric of her white and pink dress, her voice laced with desperation. "I'm begging you."

Her mind wandered—aimlessly and hopelessly trying to find a resolving conclusion to her growing predicament. A memory resurfaced from the back of her mind.

And just like that, a whirlwind of emotions overflowed her.

It was the middle of the night.

Just the two of them.

Alone.

She could feel the heat growing in her cheeks.

And then there's his look—Yuri's look—a look that would make one's heart aflutter and melt right there on the spot. His dreamy ebony eyes and beautiful long, ink hair—with a bit of sexiness and spiciness thrown in the mix...and perhaps, maybe adorable?

Though brief, everything about that fleeting moment was perfect.

...And of course, Yuri.

With his encouraging, uplifting smiles and by the gods, his laugh…

No wonder men and women alike were truly fond and attracted of him.

Like many others who tried to resist him, Estelle, who desperately tried long and hard not to fall into the trap, in the end, had fallen victim to his charms.

Her feelings began to spur during the first few weeks of the film shooting—at the time, they were located in a small European-themed town where the fictional empire, 'Zaphias' was to be shot in. Though the timing of it was a bit off, it was clear where her feelings were coming from.

As an experienced actor for most of his life, Yuri taught her everything there was to know—how to naturally improvise when you can't remember your lines during the scene, how to act accordingly while staying true to character—all this advice were pretty much straight-forward as they were relevant on how to become a successful actor in the ever so competitive entertainment industry.

Oh, how innocent she was, greatly admiring and respecting him.

A few months later, there was a strange transition.

It was around April—during the late afternoon as the sun was beginning to set over the horizon. The two of them were on the stone bridge and on their right side was a remarkable, panoramic view of a gorgeous European city of what was to be the fictional guild city, 'Dahngrest'. When the staff heard that the place was famous for its breathtaking sunsets, they immediately set into gear.

She remembered how the Director advised her that this was supposed to be one of the most powerful scenes in the project. Feeling pressured and nervous, she turned to Yuri for support.

And as always, he had her back.

But then…she had accidentally blurred the wrong lines over and over, hindering the shooting for the umpteenth time.

Everyone was watching her, expecting her to do her best and yet…to them, it wasn't enough.

" _Estelle."_

" _Yuri, I-I can't do this." Estelle sobbed at the brink of tears, lowering her head in shame. "I can't."_

 _Something warm stroked her right cheek, alarming her._

" _Don't worry about them." He told her, his eyes never breaking contact with her and his voice gentle. Estelle took a deep breath, unconsciously leaning in and relishing the warmth he was providing her with his large hand. "It's not your fault. So, what if you make a mistake? It's not the end of the world."_

 _No response._

" _Estelle, look at me."_

 _Nodding, she looked up, silently obeying._

 _Ebony and seafoam clashed, silently resonating with each other._

" _I believe in you." He encouraged her. "You've come such a long way. Don't give up now. I know you can do this."_

 _Estelle took a moment to relax before finally nodding._

 _Yuri gave her an encouraging smile. "You alright now?"_

"… _Yeah."_

" _Good," Yuri replied, maintaining his soft voice. "Hey, how about the next time you deliver your lines, why don't you try looking at me?" A pause. "Can you do that?"_

 _Estelle sniffed. "Would it help?"_

 _Yuri smiled. "Definitely." He assured her, followed by a lop-sided grin. "And I swear not to make funny faces."_

 _Hearing this, Estelle giggled. Thinking it over, she finally nodded._ _"Okay."_

 _Yuri smiled. "That's my girl." Releasing his hold on her, he then turned to the Director, giving him a signal to go forth with the scene._

 _"Ready?"_

 _Estelle inhaled a deep breath. "As I'll ever be."_

Later that same day, Estelle concluded how much she loved seeing him smile. Each time she practiced choreography, rehearse some lines or just simply hung out with him, the idea of wanting to just simply be there with him by his side grew more and more, solidifying each day.

By that point, she was endlessly falling and falling...

Estelle shook her head in frustration, denying to accept the fact that Yuri might actually reciprocate her feelings. "This is reality." She lectured herself. "We can't always assume things going our way. Be realistic."

If there was ever some form of competition among the female staff in regards to who would be an ideal partner for the great Yuri Lowell, Judith would be the clear winner. Like Yuri, she was also sexy and dangerous yet at the same time, loving and endearing to those close to them.

Appearance-wise, they looked like a Hollywood couple.

An A-list star and an international-renowned model—who wouldn't want that?

As for their level of communication, they were fairly on good terms with each other as seen from a couple of scenes they starred together – adding on that a huge chunk of it had them performing most at dusk.

To Estelle, that was no mere coincidence.

Then again, who's to say that Judith might not reciprocate back?

If not her, there were countless more people out there.

"Flynn even looks like a suitable partner for him." She trailed off. At the thought of it, she bit her lip.

Truth be told, she'd always wondered what would it be like to be with Yuri in a romantic-wise. But of course, there was the dreaded reality check.

And the answer was clear-that they were actors and as actors, they were here for one simple reason—work.

To relieve herself from her personal predicament, she did exactly just that.

 _Be true to yourself but stay in character._

This meant, in her own definition, do not let anything on set—performance, and dialogue-wise, become too personal. Because in the long run, Estelle knew that the closest she could possibly get with him was in the boundary of a friend.

Not a girlfriend.

Just a friend.

A _female_ friend.

Nothing more, nothing less.

And for the majority of the project, she continued to remind herself that the idea of him and her possibly ever getting together was never going to happen.

There was no way, not even in a million years that it was going to come true. Holding tight of her feelings, she went smoothly with the transition.

For a while, everything was going well…

Until now.

Once more, the memory of the kiss resurfaced—rewinding the kiss again and again in a timeless loop.

Blushing mad, Estelle fell back to the welcoming embrace of her soft mattress. She clenched her dress, though was quick to release it. Drained by the overwhelming emotions bubbling up inside her, Estelle closed her eyes.

Starting tomorrow, the Vesperia project would be over which meant in the next few weeks, the studio would announce their long-dedication of work to the whole wide world.

Afterward, the friends who she saw as her family would go on to their separate ways, their futures bright in every turn.

Adding on to this pile of stress was the unexpected kiss from Yuri which might put strain on their already stable, platonic relationship-a relationship which they've worked so hard to establish together.

Everything was changing.

And to Estelle, nothing was more frightening than another life-altering transition.

* * *

Hello, it's Kroissant again! I just want to personally say thank you so much for reading this! Thanks to the comments and encouraging kudos, I suddenly got the strength to keep writing. Two days later, here it is! The big update!

...Honestly, I cannot believe I wrote this so fast (especially with that very intimate first scene).  
Ahem. Anyway!

Next chapter would focus on the last and final day with the Vesperia staff-which means one thing, slowly breaking character. Oh and don't worry. If you think this is far from over, it is most definitely NOT!

Like I said before, I still have a lot of things left in store!

And I'm not giving up until this series is complete!

Oh, and a major shoutout to **Ruler of the Elements**! Thank you so much for favoriting and reading this! I really appreciate it!

Because of midterms, I would have to take a step back and focus on studies. For now, please be patient.

Updates are still up in the air.

Feel free to comment! (comments and supports give me the strength to continue! If you want, please give feedback! Adding on to that, feel free to also implement some ideas that you might like to see in the future! I would happily try my best to add them in!)

Until then, please wait for the next chapter (TBA)! Thank you!

P.S. - recommended song - Yuna theme from FFX and Come What May from Moulin Rouge

P.S.S. - the flashback at the Dahngrest bridge refers to the anime cutscene where Estelle in TOV game declares that she wants to continue journeying w/ Yuri.


	3. 3-Dawn of Departure

Morning arrived.

Seating herself down on the cold wooden flooring, Estelle opened her pink luggage to reveal her personal belongings and other assets. She tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes, mentally checking them off one by one.

When she concluded that it was only her pajamas that were missing, she smiled, rising from the ground and making her way over to her bed to retrieve them. Upon seizing them, her seafoam eyes flickered to her bedside table.

Her smile widened as she approached the table, her eyes fixated on the small stack of printed pictures next to the small lampstand. Gathering the pictures into her hands, she sat down on the edge of her bed with her folded pajamas resting on her lap.

Over the course of their year-long project, Estelle made sure to capture every moment she could. Equipped with a camera, she devoted much of her free time to take pictures of everything—from the beautiful scenic landscapes, the castles, the costumes they wore and so forth. If she could recall, the total amount was nearly three hundred.

Once more, she refocused her attention on the pictures, silently inspecting them.

The first picture was a portrait of herself donning an elegant cornflower dress along with a silver rapier attached to the right side of her waist and her short pink hair styled in a cute bun. Behind her stood Yuri and Zagi and from the looks of it, seemed to be the ones responsible for the bunny ears situated on top of her head, their strikingly mischievous expressions becoming apparent of this.

Shaking her head, she went on to look at the next picture.

Next was Flynn and Yuri, dressed in their casual clothes and practicing their swordplay. In the distance, were Rita, Karol, and the others cheering them on.

As for the third picture, it was her and Ioder, wearing their royal attire with Yuri and Flynn standing next to them. Similarly, the two childhood friends wore their True Knight and Commandant uniforms. Based on how close their faces are, it seemed like they were attempting to make a group selfie.

One picture after another, Estelle became swept with sentimental nostalgia.

"Whatcha got there?"

The pink-haired woman flinched in her spot. She quickly turned, her eyes widening at the sight of the intruder.

"Rita!" She cried in exasperation. "Please don't scare me like that!"

The short brunette crossed her arms over her red graphic tee and frowned. "Serves you right for daydreaming," She pointed out. Taking note of her friend's crestfallen expression, she quickly reinforced with, "Woah, hey! D-don't look at me like that! You know I didn't mean it!"

"I know…" Estelle trailed off, smiling softly. "It's just…"

Rita slanted her head to the side. "What?"

Estelle closed her mouth and shook her head. "No, it's nothing."

"You sure?"

"Yup," She chirped in delight, followed shortly by her trademark smile. Collecting her stack of pictures and pajamas into her arms, she strolled over to her pink luggage.

"You know, you didn't answer my question."

"Oh, sorry," Estelle apologized, "What question?"

Rita frowned. Raising her arm, she darted a finger downward.

Estelle followed the direction she was pointing at. "You mean these?" And held up the stack of pictures in her hands.

Gaining a nod, her eyes averted downwards.

"Oh, these are photos I took during our project." She explained, "Would you like to see them?"

Rita gazed at the pictures for a moment and shrugged. "Eh, maybe next time," She replied nonchalantly. 'It's almost time for us to head out anyway."

Estelle nodded, reverting her eyes back on the task at hand.

Much to her surprise, Rita squatted down next to her.

"Here, let me help." She mumbled, taking hold of one of the pajama sets and rearranging them neatly inside the contents of the luggage.

Estelle sincerely smiled. "Thank you, Rita."

Rita remained silent, though her body language—particularly the red hue along the shell of her ears and cheeks betrayed her. Despite this, she refused to look at her friend dead in the eye and concentrated her efforts on her task.

Once everything was packed inside, Estelle located the zipper and through Rita's assistance, managed to successfully close her pink luggage in one swift action.

"Eureka!" She cried, raising her open palm above her head. "High-five, Rita!"

In response, the brunette mimicked her gesture, slapping her hand over her friend's. "So, what are your plans from here on out?" She asked out of the blue.

"Good question," Estelle began, her smiling waning as she lowered her head to stare at her hands. "I haven't thought much about it. Have you?"

Rita firmly bobbed her head. "A lot actually," She admitted, leaning her head back as she peered at the ceiling. "Once we get dropped off at the airport, my parents and siblings would be there to come to pick me up…" She paused, thinking it over. "Knowing them, we'll definitely have a dinner outing. Catch up on the latest gossips and whatnot. And since I took a year off of school, maybe I could go back and restart again."

"You and Karol are family friends, correct?"

Rita snorted. "Unfortunately." She answered, sounding a bit disappointed. "And you?"

Estelle blinked. "What about me?"

"You and Ioder are related in real life," Rita stated matter-of-factly. She rose from the ground, patting her jean shorts to remove the invisible dirt off of them. "Are you two thinking of visiting your family together or something?"

Estelle cracked a smile. "I believe so." She replied, standing up as well. "If I recall, we were also planning on staying over with our grandparents sometime in the winter."

"Sounds cool."

"Oh, it is, actually!" Estelle agreed, her face beaming with excitement. "Our grandparents live in the deepest part of the countryside so, there's bound to be a large quantity of snow!" To demonstrate the sheer amount, she proceeded to stretch her arms as far as she could. "Sometimes, we'll go snowboarding, have snowball fights and drink hot chocolate near the fireplace! Even build snowmen and snow forts!"

Rita chuckled. "What are you? Five?"

Estelle simply smiled. And then a thought occurred to her. "Why don't you and Karol come visit us?" Catching the latter's confusion, she quickly reinforced with, "I mean, we don't have to do right now but maybe one day!"

Collecting her hands together behind her back, she began to sway her body from side to side. A playful smile resurfaced across her lips as she began to think of all the possibilities if such a thought were to come true. "And if they'd like, the others can join in as well!" Placing her hands close to her chest, she shut her eyes and smiled. "Wouldn't it be wonderful to have everyone together?"

Rita blushed, veering her eyes down. "…I guess so." She mumbled, shuffling her feet.

At the thought of no longer seeing her friend, Estelle felt her chest tighten. She inhaled a deep breath. "Rita."

The short brunette peered up.

Seizing her friend's hands and placing them over hers, Estelle began with, "I…want to thank you. Thank you so, so much for the memories, we've made during the production of the project, for the many laughs and smiles we've exchanged to the countless sleepovers we'll partake almost every night. If it were not for you, Yuri, Judith, Karol, Raven, Patty, Flynn and Repede… I wouldn't be where I am now."

Heaving a deep breath, she continues. "But most importantly, I'm glad to have met you. Just like the character you played, you embody so much strength and confidence. Not only are you such a wonderful role model for me, but you are the best female friend I could ever have!" Bowing her head in respect, she finished off with the same last words she had said to Yuri, "I really cannot thank you enough."

Rita quickly turned her head the other way, obviously flustered by her friend's sudden declaration. "No, don't…" Her throat tightened, hindering her from delivering her words properly. "Don't make it sound like…this is the last time we'll see each other."

Blinking away the tears that were about to spill, Rita inhaled a deep breath and cried, "Because from what I'm seeing…this…this thing we have…" She hiccupped, "It's not over, okay? We'll…definitely see each other again!"

Estelle blinked the incoming tears in her eyes.

Nevertheless, she happily nodded in agreement, her lips crinkling to form a smile.

"Oh, Rita!" She cried, pulling her friend in for an embrace.

And just like that, the invisible barriers that the poor teenager held for so long came tumbling down. She gripped the fabric of her pink-haired confidant as a flood of emotions hit her. In no less than a second, she bawled her heart out.

"I'm going to miss you terribly," Estelle gently replied, bringing a hand behind the latter's back. As she said those words, a trail of tears leaked from her left eye.

The sound of a knock on the door caused them to freeze in place.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Rita buried her face deeper into Estelle's shoulder in hopes to avoid meeting eye contact. Sensing her friend's distress, Estelle took the opportunity to look up. As she did so, her seafoam eyes glistened.

"Judith!" She greeted the blue-haired woman with a sweet smile.

"Oh dear, what happened?" Judith asked in concern while making her way over to where they stood. "Is everything alright?"

"We're fine." She assured, followed up by a nervous giggle.

Processing her words, Judith couldn't help but feel empathic for them.

Without warning, she circled her arms around her two friends, placing her chin at the tip of the brunette's head. Similar to what Estelle did to Rita, she tightened her hold on them. For a moment, it was just the three of them, sisters in arms and relishing each other's respective warmth.

A minute later, the three eventually released each other with Rita being the first to pull away.

"All better now?" Judith wondered, directing her question to the youngest girl.

"Yeah, I'm good." Rita quickly replied, staring back at her with swollen, red eyes. "Just…have dust in my eyes is all."

Judith slanted her head to the side, her pleasant smile unwavering. "You know, I'm going to miss this." She commented, referring to their small circle. "I may not have siblings of my own but you two ladies would be the closest I could ever get of acquiring one."

Estelle sniffed. "Me too."

"Whatever," Rita grumbled, looking elsewhere. "I already got my own brats to deal with."

Judith chuckled. "It's been quite the long journey," She began, her smile unyielding. "And now, look at us—the Beauty Core, a year in and still growing strong."

"Time really does fly when you're having fun," Estelle agreed with a smile.

"Ugh! All this mushy-gushy business is making me sick!" Rita cried, startling the two. "That's it! I'm heading out!" With her face completely red, she stomped toward the half-opened entry, leaving the two women on their own.

"My, what a spitfire," Judith commented, putting a finger under her chin as she smiled.

"She may be young but she puts so much passion into her acting," Estelle joined in. A sincere smile appeared on her lips. "I have no doubt she'll be popular to the audience." From the corner of her eye, she took note of the blue-haired woman's sudden change of appearance.

As expected, Judith's preference for clothing was chic style—a white turtleneck shirt, long blue jeans, black sandals and—

"Why do you still have the antennae?" Estelle pointed out, referring to the long bluish-teal tails which extended under the crook of her bun.

"Oh, this?" Judith began, touching the tails and smiling. "The Director agreed to my request of keeping them. I adore them so much; I can't see myself ever parting with them."

Estelle blinked. "We can keep them?"

Judith nodded. "If the Director allows it," She explained, "If I remember correctly, Karol is probably going to keep his red handkerchief, Patty with her binoculars, Rita with her goggles…" She paused for a moment as she thought it over. "Flynn mentioned something about a prop he wanted to bring home with but never specified." A smile graced her features. "Knowing Raven, probably the flask he got from one of the scenes we did together. As for Repede, it's already a given that he has that pipe. He doesn't seem to want to part with it either."

"And Yuri?"

Judith turned to face her, her lips curving upwards. Her sharp ruby eyes glistened with mischievousness. "I'm afraid I don't have the answer to that. You'll have to ask him yourself." A pause. "And you, Estelle?"

"Me?" Estelle repeated, pointing to herself.

The older woman chuckled. "Have you thought about what item you'll bring home?"

"Not really…"

"Well, you better hurry and decide." She warned, poking her friend playfully on the nose. "Once we leave, that's it. No more regrets." Whirling her body, she reached out a hand, grabbing hold of the handle of the pink luggage. She then reverted her focus back to the latter and asked, "Would it be alright if I bring this downstairs?"

Estelle smiled. "You know you don't have to ask."

Judith shrugged, her calm composure unchanging. "Can't help it, you know." She replied nonchalantly. Taking a step forward, she leaned closer to her friend and softly whispered, "By the way, is everything alright? You didn't attend the party we had last night."

"Yes, about that…" Estelle trailed off, trying to think of a good response. "After shooting the last scene with Yuri, I got so tired." She giggled. "By the time I hit the bed, I fell asleep."

Judith furrowed her eyebrows. "Are you okay now?"

"Yes!" Estelle beamed, though her radiant smile was quick to dissipate as she added, "I'm sorry for making you all worry."

"Sweetie, don't apologize. That's what we're here for." Judith told her, giving her a light pat on the head. "Oh, before that…" A pleasant smile appeared on her face. "Yuri wants to talk to you privately."

Estelle blushed. "O-oh?"

Withdrawing back, Judith smiled. "You know where his room is, yes?"

"…Second door to the right hall."

Judith bobbed her head in confirmation.

Estelle bit her bottom lip.

"I'll be downstairs with Rita and the others," Judith spoke, gaining her attention.

Before Estelle could reply back, Judith beat her to the punch. "Be sure to join us! The Director wants every single person in attendance for a group picture!" She called out, already strolling toward the door. As she stepped into the halls, she quickly motioned her head and gave her a suggestive wink. "Don't take too long!"

And just like that, she left the room, leaving Estelle to dwell with her sea of thoughts.

At the thought of being alone with Yuri, she swallowed the lump in her throat. Pressing a hand over to where her heart was located, she inhaled a deep breath.

Feeling bold, she marched forward.

* * *

"You can do this." Estelle encouraged herself over and over again. "No regrets."

As she wandered absentmindedly through the narrow halls, she took notice of the passing crewmembers and staffs who seemed a bit preoccupied with bringing their own luggage and equipment downstairs. Catching sight of this, her heart sank.

The dawn of departure was imminent.

In less than five hours, they were to leave this place and never look back. She closed her eyes, her mind wandering to the familiar scenery of her apartment. Once this was over, she'll be all alone again.

Seemingly lost in her thoughts, she failed to realize that she was about to bump into—

"Ahh!"

"Estellise!"

Hearing her name being called, the pink-haired woman immediately fluttered her eyes wide open. Alarmed, she peered up.

A touch of golden hair and sky blue eyes came into view.

Estelle blushed by how close the tips of their noses were touching. "F-Flynn!"

With his hand seizing her tiny wrist, he gently pulled her forward. As he did so, he retreated a few steps back. "Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?" Flynn asked, constantly checking her figure for any signs of possible blemishes or wounds.

Regaining her balance, Estelle let out a hearty giggle. "Stop worrying!" She exclaimed, "I'm fine!"

Flynn exhaled a sigh of relief. "That's good," And set his hands on his hips.

Estelle quickly snuck a glance at his choice of clothing before quickly placing a hand over her mouth.

"What's so funny?"

"No, it's just…" Estelle mumbled, resisting the urge to laugh right then and there. "I'm so used to seeing you wear your Commandant armor, that it's a bit refreshing to see you…"

"Wearing these?" Flynn wondered, gesturing to his surprisingly street fashion attire which consisted of a black leather jacket, torn jeans, black sandals and black sunglasses situated on top of his head. For someone who spends most of his time portraying the idealistic knight-in-shining-armor character, it was quite refreshing to see him in a different light. "My fans would riot if they saw me in this get-up."

Estelle smiled, shaking her head. "I don't think so." She replied, "It suits you rather nicely."

Flynn chuckled. "Well, what about you?" He asked, gesturing to her oversized gray wool dress and black stockings. "Such a dainty outfit doesn't suit well for a princess such as yourself."

Estelle giggled. "You flatter me."

"I'm simply telling the truth," He expressed sincerely, causing the pink-haired actress to blush at his compliment. "If there's one thing I share similarities with my character, it's that we are honest and speak nothing but the truth." A pause. "Say, wanna join me downstairs with the others?"

Estelle opened her mouth to speak, only to close it again. "Umm…actually," She mumbled, flashing him an apologetic smile. "I'm afraid I need to go somewhere."

Flynn raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Where to?"

"Yuri wants to speak with me privately."

Flynn nodded. He bent his knees slightly, bowing his head as he did so. "Would you like me to escort you to his chambers, Your Highness?" He asked, getting into character.

Estelle smiled. "That would be wonderful, Sir Flynn," She replied, playing along.

Looping over his arm with hers, together, they strolled to the end of the hallway.

"Do you have any plans after all this?" Estelle spoke, changing the topic.

"…Actually, I'm instructed to remain here a bit longer."

Estelle paused in her steps, peering up. Her expression mixed with astonishment and sorrow. "Oh?"

"Yeah, the Director thought it'd be best if Yuri and I could stay behind and help advertise the project." He explained, scratching the back of his exposed neck. "He instructed us not to tell anyone but since you are by far, the closest to me and him, I'd figure…"

Estelle nodded. "Thank you for letting me know," She replied sincerely, slowing down her pace as a familiar door on the right emerged in her field of vision. "But what about Repede?"

"Oh, he'll be staying too," Flynn confirmed her suspicions. "Though not much longer, I believe. A week after you guys leave the vicinity, Aunt Lily's gonna come over and visit us. After that, she'll probably be the one to take good old Repede home with her."

Estelle quirked an eyebrow. "Aunt Lily?"

"Yuri's mom," Flynn answered, followed by an amused smirk. "He doesn't mention her a lot in fear that the paparazzi might find her and ruin her privacy, which is pretty understandable."

Estelle's features softened. "I believe that's best," She commented, feeling rest-assured that such a secret was known only for a selective few. "What about you, Flynn? Do you have any family waiting for you?"

The blonde-haired man nodded. "I got my mom, dad, and little half-sister—" He turned to face her, flashing her a toothy grin. "Who, as you know by now, is Patty." As soon as he said those words, he paused in his steps. "Now that I think about it, I should probably go check up on her."

"She must be downstairs with the others," Estelle informed him.

"Alright," Releasing his hold on hers, Flynn angled his head to the right, facing the door. Without thinking, he raised his arm and started knocking. When he didn't get an answer, he resorted to banging the door. "Yuri! Open up!"

Finally, the door opened, revealing the dark-haired man. "Flynn, what the hell?" He cried, glaring at his childhood friend. As he motioned his head the other way, his ebony eyes shrank in size, taking in the sight of the lone female. "Estelle!"

"How are you faring, Yuri?" Estelle replied, waving her hand with a sweet smile.

"Well, I should get going," Flynn interrupted, catching their attention. He then reverted his focus on his pink-haired friend standing next to him and smiled. "I'm afraid duty calls," And thrust his arm over his chest and bowing his head down once more. "Until next time, Your Highness,"

Wanting to play along, Estelle cleared her throat. "Yes, thank you for your service, Sir Flynn," She replied back, lifting the hems of her wool dress to perform a curtsy.

Exchanging farewells, Flynn ran off to the nearest staircase.

Yuri stepped aside to grant her access to enter. "Why don't you come in?"

Estelle inhaled a deep breath. This was it.

She firmly nodded, muttering a soft, "Okay," And walked inside.

* * *

"I was worried you weren't gonna come," Yuri mumbled, nervously raking his hair. Maneuvering through his slightly cluttered room, he proceeded to sit down on the edge of his bed. "Would you like to sit down?" He added, gesturing over to the available space next to him.

Estelle bobbed her head in response. Plopping herself next to the actor, she seized the moment to take in her surroundings. The layout of the room was strikingly similar to hers, with the only difference being that his bed was located on the right while hers was on the left. She snuck a glance at the window, her eyes widening at the beautiful scenery of the open entrance of the staged vicinity.

From the corner of her eye, she took in his current attire.

Much like Flynn, his choice of clothing was a complete three-sixty—donning a large black jacket over his plain white shirt, accompanied with simple black jeans and sandals. A silver-laced necklace, complete with a circle goldish-metallic pendant dangled on his neck while a pair of black sunglasses, quite similar to Flynn's, rested on the top of his head. His long, ink hair remained down, spilling evenly along the sides of his shoulder blades and back.

This was it, the real Yuri Lowell, the famous A-list actor, in the flesh.

Similar to her dilemma with Flynn, she could barely tell that Yuri was the same person who she worked with. Then again, the costumes they all wore somehow brought justice, adding much emphasize on their retrospective personalities—though Flynn's was a complete manner to discuss.

She shifted in her seat, feeling a bit out of place.

"So…"

Estelle looked up, locking eyes with her dark-haired partner. "Hmm?"

"I just…" Yuri trailed off, stopping himself for a moment to think it over. "I meant to tell you guys sooner." His tone of voice becoming a mere whisper. "I was informed by the Director early this morning that I can't go back yet. To ensure that our project attracts attention, Flynn and I would need to stay behind to gain some form of sponsorship."

Estelle nodded, smiling. "I understand," She replied, slanting her head to the side. "Would that be all?"

Yuri turned to her and shook his head. "No, there's more," And reached out to collect her hands, startling her.

"I also wanted to apologize for what happened last night." He veered his eyes to the floor and smiled sadly. "I realized how inconsiderate I was of your feelings. I didn't know what came over me."

Estelle bit her bottom lip, her heart thumping as she recalled the kiss they shared.

"But you know," Yuri continued, followed by a short laugh. "I don't regret kissing you." He inclined his head a little closer, letting their foreheads touch.

Blushing furiously, Estelle snuck a peek at him.

Her heart raced as she felt his eyes directed on her.

"Why me?" She asked softly, "You could've chosen Judith or Flynn to be with you. They suit you more, not me."

All Yuri could do was smile. "If I had the luxury of choosing, I wouldn't pick them," He began, collecting their hands together in a firm grip. "And then there's you. In all my years of acting, I've never felt so comfortable around anyone, especially on the first day. That was when I knew, from the moment we rehearsed and performed our scenes together, how different you were from the others."

"Almost like the character you play as you're stubborn, whiny, pretty rash, and at times, a bit demanding." Catching sight of her glare, he emitted a laugh. "But, you're also compassionate, resilient, thoughtful, and down-to-earth. I never felt more connected with anyone besides you." He leaned a bit forward, breathing in her flowery scent. "I had so much fun spending time with you, I lost track of the limited time we had. Yesterday, it was then I realized that once our scene was over, that that was it for us. I wouldn't be able to see you for god knows when."

Estelle heaved a deep breath, silently registering his words while her heart accelerated tenfold.

"Then I got to thinking," Yuri continued, catching her off-guard. "What should I do? How should I tell her these feelings I have?" A light chuckle escaped his throat. "Before I knew it, I just went for it."

"…How long?" Estelle spoke up, breaking the long overdue silence between them. "I mean, that is…when did you start…"

"I'm not sure if you remember this but," Yuri withdrew back, his eyes never leaving hers. "You know that small town with that big tree?"

Estelle frowned, mulling it over. A great tree—oh!

"You mean the staged town that was to be 'Halure'?" She wondered, which earned her an enthusiastic nod. "Then…" Her eyes widened.

That scene.

"The very first scene we did together," She mumbled, her cheeks reddening. "When my character was to revive the tree, did you…"

"—I couldn't take my eyes off you." He confirmed, causing her to freeze. "That weird face I was making—you know, the one with my eyes growing big? Yeah, that one was real." He let out a laugh. "I was so into the scene, I completely forgot that we were acting. It wasn't until the Director ushered me over to come to take a look and started praising me that I realized…" Pausing midway, he cleared his throat and turned elsewhere. "Ever since then, I made sure to control myself every time I was around you."

Listening to his declaration, Estelle blushed.

"You probably don't like me since I gave in to my desires," He went on, lowering his gaze at their joined hands. "But I wanna give us a try."

Silence ensued.

"…W-what if it doesn't work out?" Estelle blurted out.

"We'll make it work." He assured her with a charming smirk. "And I'll make sure of it. Just trust me."

"I do trust you!" Estelle suddenly cried. Realizing what she had said, she quickly shut her eyes closed. "But…"

Yuri quirked an eyebrow. "What is it? You can tell me."

"It's a bit overwhelming," She confessed, "What's going to happen to our partnership now that we're going to be intimate?"

Yuri smiled. "It's going to be the same as it was before," He assured her, tucking a strand of her pink hair behind the shell of her ear. "With the addition of me kissing you here and there,"

"Really?"

"Have I ever lied to you?"

Estelle thought for a moment and shrugged. "Actually, sometimes."

"Hey, come on!"

Estelle giggled at his childish outburst. "I'm joking,"

Yuri shakes his head and tilts his head forward, pressing his forehead against hers. "Damn, what am I going to do with you?"

"You could always punish me," Estelle slipped in, only to blush at the expense of her words. Quickly, she peered up at her partner who stared back at her with wide eyes. "I mean, no! That's not what I meant!"

Ignoring her protest, Yuri leaned in once more, letting their foreheads touch each other once more as he laughed at her sincerity.

Eventually, his laughter ceased, becoming replaced with one of his trademark smirks.

"So, you up for it?" He asked her, wiggling his eyebrows.

This time, Estelle didn't feel frightened. "If it's with you, I don't mind at all."

Yuri beamed. Her words music to his ears. "Hey, can you close your eyes for a sec?"

Estelle looked at him in confusion.

"Trust me."

And she did. Inhaling a deep breath, she closed her eyes.

Seconds later, something cold brushed along her wrist, causing her to freeze.

"Okay…now open them!"

Estelle reopened her eyes and peered down. She gasped. "These are…"

"Not sure if Judy told you but the Director let us keep one of the props on the set," Yuri began, smirking cheekily. "Flynn got away with taking the Commandant belt so I thought, why not I take this?" He gestured his chin over to the golden thick bracelet, embellished with plastic ruby shards—an iconic accessory known as a Bodhi Blastia.

"Is this what you're planning to take with you?" Estelle wondered, looking up to face him.

Yuri shook his head. "Actually, this is for you."

Her eyes widened. "For me?" She mumbled, feeling uncertain. "But what about you?"

Right on cue, Yuri brought his right hand over his left, letting the fabric of his long sleeve glide downstairs. There, on his left wrist was a thin golden bracelet, accentuated with a purplish-pink hue on the surface. Unlike the one in her possession, this one had a few antlered-like branches, with the two lower ones oddly twisting to form the shape of a heart.

"Managed to get this one last minute," Yuri began, his facial features softening. "I caught one of the crew members putting the costumes away and found this by pure chance."

Estelle blushed. "You know you didn't have to do that."

"I know," Yuri replied, his grin widening. He then raised his left wrist, letting it line up with hers. "If you ever miss me, look at the Bodhi Blastia and know that I'll always be with you in spirit." He explained, "And I'll do the same on my end."

Estelle giggled. "You sound so romantic."

Yuri furrowed his eyebrows. "Is it bad?"

"No, it's refreshing," She admitted, "Though it's going to take a while for me to get used to."

Exchanging smiles, they burst into a fit of laughter.

"So, what now?" Estelle wondered, struggling to keep herself in place.

Yuri slanted his head to the side. "Don't know," He shrugged, leaning his arms on his bed as he threw his head back, his eyes remaining on her, "What do you think?"

"I think…we should start going downstairs," Estelle suggested, her eyes lingering over his a little longer than it should. "Everyone is waiting for us."

Yuri shrugged, "Let them wait," He replied, once more leaning forward, letting their foreheads touch. Cautiously, he brought his hand along the back of her exposed neck, his ebony eyes concentrated on hers.

"I want to spend a little more time with you," He lowered his head, his lips barely touching hers. "Would you be alright with that?"

Estelle smiled. "I don't mind," And closed her eyes, closing the distance between them.

* * *

 **Hello, everyone! This is Kroissant!**

 **Sorry, it took so long! But finally, I was able to squeeze some free time in and present you the third chapter of SOSN! To make up for it, I made sure to add an extra dose of Yustelle fluff to satisfy you all until the next update!**

 **By the way, a major shoutout to Kogahazan for their comment! Thank you so much!**

 **This chapter was fun but also difficult to flesh out-especially since by this chapter, I'm supposed to break character-as expressed through Rita, Flynn (mostly) and Yuri. At the same time, this marks the end of the final day of the Vesperia project!**

 **Which means, starting next chapter, look forward to real-world settings!**

 **A few snippets of the main cast's real-life background here and there that would be further explored shortly.**

 **For now, please enjoy this chapter!**

 **Updates are still up in the air!**

 **And if you can, please let the comments/kudos keep coming!**

 **Thank you all so much for your support and patience!**

 **Until then!**

 **-Kroissant**

 **Suggested words -**

 **Remind me to forget by Kygo, Michael**

 **Stuff We Did - Up Soundtrack**

 **P.S. – the scene that Yuri referred to is the second** cuts cene **in the TOV game (Halure)**


	4. Missing You

With the exception of the two main stars, Yuri and Flynn, and their faithful canine companion Repede, the remaining cast members were quickly ushered to the big buses parked near the vicinity and later escorted to the international airport with luggage in tow.

As much as they wanted to spend more time with each other, time was not friendly to them.

Even so, they wished for one more memorable moment before their dreaded departure.

Much to their surprise and delight, twelve-year-old Karol Capel took the helm as their temporary leader, who was naturally Yuri and stepped forth. Standing in the middle of their small family circle, he proceeded to clap his hands three times. Gaining their attention, including some of the bystanders and pedestrians passing through, all of a sudden, he exclaimed, "Alright, one more time!" and stretched his right arm outward. "Hands in!"

On cue, Estelle, Rita, and Judith did the same.

Raven, Patty, and Ioder shortly followed after.

"What team are we?"

" _Brave Vesperia!"_

"What team are we?" Karol repeated.

" _Brave Vesperia!"_

"I said, what team?" He cried out one last time at the top of his lungs.

"Brave Vesperia!" Everyone bellowed after, throwing his or her hands high in the air.

Raising a fist pump high, Karol jumped from his spot and yelled with all his might, "FALL OUT!"

Ignoring the mix of confused and startled looks from their unintended audience, the group laughed boisterously and cried in rejoice as they proceeded to hug and pat each and every individual for good measure. No doubt that the people who made up the group, blood-related or not, it was quite apparent with how much overwhelming love, satisfaction, and pride were embedded through their lingering touches forms of embraces, quick friendly kisses, slight teasing, ruffled hairs, and soft mutterings of, 'gonna miss you' and 'don't forget me'.

After their brief exchanges of farewells, the clock stroke twelve.

Wasting no time, the seven individuals gathered their belongings and swiftly ran off to their respective terminals and gateways.

Heading for the right direction was Rita, Karol, and Patty whose destinations were set directly for the United States and Canada.

On the opposing spectrum were Judith and Raven racing toward their left. Unlike the youthful trio, their destinations were exclusively fixed for Japan.

As for Estelle and Ioder, the remaining pair of the group, they simply remained in their spots as they were already seated in the place where they were supposed to be. Compared to the rest, the Heurassein cousins were residents currently living in Europe.

Thus, their flight back home was rather short-lived.

Four and a half hours later and here they were—seated next to each other inside of what appears to be a glossy black cab driving through the long, unwinding outskirts of their beloved city.

Though the sky had darkened, transitioning from that of a beautiful azure blue to dreary purplish-hue, the air pollution and bright luminescent sparks deriving from the colossal infrastructures they've passed by brought life to the gloomy Capital—London. Ioder cracked a smile the instant he recognized the iconic Ferris Wheel and Clock Tower a few distances away.

"It's nice to finally be back home," Ioder began, looking through the window with an awed expression. "Don't you think so, dear cousin?"

No answer.

"Estellise?"

When he didn't still receive a response, he turned around to glance at his pink-haired relative who sat quietly in her seat, idly watching the marvelous sights in her own accord. Sensing the melancholic atmosphere around her, Ioder frowned.

"Earth-to-Estellise," He began, his voice softening as he gently placed his hand over hers.

Alarmed, Estelle motioned her head the other way. Realizing that it was only her cousin, her widened eyes quickly returned to its natural size.

"Is everything alright?" Ioder asked worriedly. "Come on, you can tell me."

Hearing this, Estelle mustered a tiny smile. "No, I'm fine." Placing her hand over his, she added in, "I'm just happy that we made it back home safe and sound."

Ioder frowned, still unconvinced. "You miss them, don't you?"

"Well, I mean it's natural…" She tried to explain, forcing herself to exert a sense of false optimism. "And what about you? You must miss the others as well."

"Can't say I haven't," Ioder confessed, tipping his head to the side. "But based on our experiences, your case isn't them." A pause. "Could it be him?"

Estelle raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Him?"

"Yuri Lowell."

The second he muttered those words, Ioder took notice of how tense his cousin's shoulders quickly became. A playful grin spread across his lips. "Did I get it, right?"

"N-no!" Estelle suddenly cried, only to stop herself midway as she let out a startled squeak. She quickly slapped a hand over her mouth and turned the other way in hopes to avoid the latter's stare on her. "W-what I mean was…"

Ioder simply chuckled. "You are so easy to read, Estellise," He assured her, bringing his other hand to pat her on the shoulder. "Then again, probably just me talking…you know, being your blood relative and all."

Estelle dipped her head, shutting her eyes and gripping her fists. "So then…you knew?"

"Pretty much everyone, actually," He admitted matter-of-factly, "We all had a feeling that there was something between the two of you. But the funny thing was, neither of you knew of the other's hidden feelings."

"W-what?" Estelle stammered, trying to process what she just heard. "Then…how long?"

Ioder slanted his head to the side, pursing his lips as he mulled the thought over. "Let's see now…about ten to eleven months or so?" Catching sight of her bewildered expression, he simply laughed. "Hey, don't look at me! If anything, blame it on Mister Raven. He was the one who proposed the idea in the first place." Thinking it over, he shook his head. "Actually, no. Perish the thought. Probably one of the staff members…then again, knowing Mister Raven, he might've gotten involved anyway."

All Estelle could do was stare at him in disbelief.

"Everyone knew?" She mumbled lowly under her breath.

Ioder nodded his head. "Sometimes, the Director would get in on the bet." He began, his grin widening as he delivered his next set of words, "Though I have to admit, you guys are pretty stubborn."

Estelle furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"Every time we have a conference call or if one of us just flat out asks if the two of you are together, you guys suddenly get all defensive." Ioder went on, waving his arms in a frantic gesture. "I mean, hey, it's not our fault to assume that you guys were dating but would you at least give us some hints or whatever? You know, to at least show that our bet was worth it? Because I'll have you know that I spend thirty euros and—" Before he could continue, something shiny caught his attention.

Curious, he leaned a bit closer as he attempted to decipher the strange glimmering object in the midst of the dark room.

In retaliation, Estelle quickly removed her hand from his and pulled the end of her long sleeve forward. Unfortunately, she was unable to hide the Bodhi bracelet in time as Ioder stared back at her with wide eyes.

"Wait…" He trailed off, leaning back as he tried to register what he just saw. "Are you telling me that…are you two actually…?"

"Ioder— "

"SO THEN I WON!"

Estelle blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I knew it!" Ioder cried, completely ignoring her as he attempted to perform a victory dance while sitting in his seat. "I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!"

"Ioder, please— "

"Man, you and Yuri?" Ioder cut her off, followed by a sigh of relief. "I mean, it was pretty darn obvious that you guys should be together but the fact that you guys are finally and officially— "

"Ioder, please listen," Estelle began, earning his attention. Once the blonde man was able to calm down, she cleared her throat and continued with, "It's more complicated than you think."

Ioder blinked once, then twice. "Wait, hold up." He spoke after a moment of silence. "What did you say?"

Estelle drew in a measured sigh. "Yuri and I…yes, we are sort of…together but…" She brought a hand close to her chest and shut her eyes. "I don't think it's going to last as much as we think it would."

Ioder frowned. "How so?"

"I mean, yes, we do have strong chemistry but…what happens, I mean…once Project Vesperia comes out…" She released another exasperated breath. "What would the audience think? Knowing that thousands of people would watch our performance and assume that we are platonic."

"But you guys are platonic." Ioder pointed out before adding in, "Romantically."

Estelle bit her lower lip as she felt her cheeks reddened. "Well, yes but…what happens if people assume differently?"

Catching on to what she was implying, Ioder smiled. "You shouldn't let others and their opinions get the best of you." He advised her, "Who cares if the audience doesn't see the way you look at him or the way Yuri looks at you?"

Estelle raised an eyebrow. "…The way he looks at me?" She echoed, slightly confused. "How so?"

Ioder chuckled. "You probably don't know this but every time you turn around, Yuri would make this kind of look." To give her an example, he straightened his back and adjusted his facial features a bit in hopes to better imitate a certain co-worker's notable expression.

For a moment, anybody would've guessed that the look Ioder was referring to was that of 'satisfaction' or 'approval'.

Estelle frowned. But wasn't that the typical expression Yuri would wear on a daily basis? "I don't understand."

"That's because you're not looking hard enough," Ioder explained, followed by light laughter. "You have to look a little closer."

And she did.

Finally, it dawned to her.

The half-lidded eyes.

The intense staring.

The crinkling on each side of the lips.

"Flynn calls it the 'lovesick puppy' look," Ioder began, reverting back to his usual poker expression and trademark pleasant grin. "Pretty neat, huh?"

"Strange…how come I've never seen it before?" Estelle muttered lowly to herself.

"That's because he does it whenever you look the other way," He explained, earning a blush from the latter. "Like that one time when you guys were inside the recording booths? Yuri would always assign himself to the one right across from you."

Estelle glanced down at the Bodhi bracelet once more. Now that she thought about it, it was true.

There was no doubt that when the main cast was scheduled to record their voices for the skits every weekend, she assumed that the recording booths would be assigned to them based on their amount of dialogue. Thinking it over, she couldn't help but smile as a memory of a particular moment resurfaced from the back of her mind. And then she remembered—that one time when she was busy recording her lines for one of the skits, she always seemed to catch Yuri staring at her and giving her thumbs up.

And when the time came for his turn, she'd secretly mimic the same gesture.

Unfortunately for her, Yuri caught on to this and resorted to producing a funny face. Such a thought made her automatically cover her mouth to stifle a giggle. At the time, she was drinking her water bottle and as soon as he had done that, it caught her so off-guard, she had accidentally snorted out a few droplets of the water through her nostrils.

Estelle remembered how the burning sensation through her nose lingered as it couldn't seem to go away. And as payback for what he'd done, she requested that he would treat her for lunch later that day.

As expected, Yuri flashed her a cheeky grin and happily obliged.

"You might not know this but he did that on purpose," Ioder pressed on, smiling genuinely. "We figured that the reason why he chose to be across from you was to watch you and provide you some advice. What we got instead was…well, based off our observations—" He then lifted his closed fist and stretched out his fingers, "Almost every time you devote her focus on the microphone, he'll be focusing on you. And without you even aware of it, he would make that look." A pause. "And when it's his turn to do the recording, the first thing he'll see when he looks up would be you."

Estelle held her breath, pressing a hand closer to her chest. Her cheeks burned red as she felt the fast tempo of her heart beating thunderously along her fair skin. "You seem to be quite familiar with it," She replied, squirming in her seat.

"That's because the others and I have been counting," Ioder stated simply, "Although I'm not always present in the background, as I've mentioned before, the others have already caught on. And based on their observations, I would say…a total of a thousand, six hundred and seventy."

"A thousand, six hundred and seventy?"

Ioder nodded. "The many times he looked at you that way."

Estelle's eyes widened. "Then that would mean…"

Again, Ioder bobbed his head. "If eleven months is about three hundred and thirty-four days, that would mean that the number of times Yuri uses his 'lovesick puppy' look would be about— "

"…Five per day?"

"Precisely."

"But…"

Ioder quirked an eyebrow.

"Does this include everything besides the recording booths?" Estelle wondered, peering upwards. As luck, would've had it, Ioder gave her the brightest of smiles. And to her, that was more than enough to confirm her suspicions.

"The man simply adores you, Estellise," Ioder commented, chuckling lightly.

Estelle glanced downwards, her eyes traveling to the shimmering plastic gold bracelet situated on her right wrist.

Loosening her long sleeve, a tiny smile materialized across her lips.

* * *

For the duration of their ride, Ioder and Estelle spend the little time they had left conversing with one another. Though she'd admit that she already missed the presence of her dear friends, having Ioder around was enough to fill in the void.

"We're here!"

"We are?" Estelle squeaked as she quickly turned her head to stare out the window. She then leaned forward, squinting her eyes a little as she attempted to make out her surroundings.

Through the frosted window, she could decipher a series of apartment complexes before her. She frowned, motioning her head from the left, then right. It wasn't long until she recognized a familiar bakery shop one block away from which they were currently parked at that everything fit into place.

"Oh, yes! This is me!" She cried, earning Ioder and the driver's attention.

Wasting no time, she slid her fingers through the square-shaped handle of the side door. Seconds later, she popped her head out through the half-opened door. As she slowly walked out of the car and into the open streets, a cold wind passed by, chilling her to the bone.

Even so, she couldn't help but smile at the familiarity of it.

"Here ya go," A gruff male voice spoke up from behind her.

Blinking, Estelle peered over her shoulder only to discover her driver offering her pink luggage toward her direction. Seizing her belongings, she was later given a few boxes here and there. Once everything she owned was present in front of her, she expressed her gratitude by bowing her head in respect. "Thank you, sir," She thanked him with a sweet smile.

The driver grinned. "Anytime, lass," And proceeded to close the backseat trunk of his cab. As he strolled back to the front of the vehicle, Estelle proceeded to chase after him with her light pink purse at the ready. As she unzipped the small bag, she was stopped midway by her cousin.

"I'll handle this," Ioder assured her as he casually walked out from the opposing side door. "Focus on getting settled back to your place."

Estelle bit her lower lip. "But that's not right— "

Ioder shook his head. "It's okay, Estellise," And cracked a pleasant smile. "As I said, I'll handle this so no need to worry."

Estelle shot him a pouty look.

Ioder chuckled. "Sorry, not gonna work on me." He replied, patting her fondly on the top of her head.

Sighing in defeat, Estelle smiled. "Oh, Ioder," And approached the young man, wrapping her arms along the crook of his thin neck. "Honestly, you're too kind."

"That's what family is for, right?" Ioder expressed, returning the gesture.

Hearing this, Estelle inhaled as she unconsciously tightened her grip on him. "Thank you so much for everything," She replied through muffled words.

"Don't think this is the last time we'll be seeing each other," Ioder warned her, retreating a step back while gently releasing her from his hold. "Remember, we still have that annual visit to the countryside with the oldies."

Estelle stifled a giggle. "Ioder, language!"

"Oh, yes, right," Ioder replied, clearing his throat to correct himself. "What I meant to say was, our dearly beloved oldies."

Gasping, she cried, "Ioder!" And playfully nudged him on the elbow for payback.

In response, Ioder simply laughed. "What? I bet they don't mind,"

Collecting her hands together behind her back, Estelle inclined her head to the side and lightly giggled. "Still, they are our grandparents and we must pay our respects to them."

Ioder dramatically sighed. "Why do you have to always be the goody-two-shoes?" Rolling his eyes, he decided to revert to the main topic of their conversation. "Anyway, I'll probably stop by and visit. Just be sure to have peppermint flavored tea and lemon biscuits for me."

Smiling, Estelle went on her tip-toes to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Of course," She answered back, "Anything for my favorite cousin."

Ioder laughed. "I'm your only cousin."

Estelle rolled her eyes. "Goodness, Ioder." Recoiling her footsteps back, she gave him a friendly wave.

"Say my regards to Auntie and Uncle for me!" Ioder added in.

Estelle smiled. "Certainly, and do the same for me as well on the other side," She confirmed, shuffling her feet from side to side. "And…Ioder?"

"Hmm?"

"Please keep it a secret."

Catching on to what she meant, Ioder chuckled. "Will do," He assured, thrusting an arm over his chest with his head held high. "Anything else, Your Highness?"

Estelle puffed her cheeks. "Ioder!"

"Alright, time for me to go now," Ioder suddenly announced, bowing his head slightly. Angling his body, he strode forward. A few steps in and he halted in his tracks. Peering over his shoulder, he emitted a bright grin. "Welcome home, Estellise."

With one last wave, he entered the black cab once more.

Estelle smiled as she watched the vehicle angling a turn before venturing off into the busy streets.

Dropping her arms to the sides, Estelle sighed and refocused her interest on her belongings. Gathering her baggage claims, she clumsily staggered her way up the staircase. Once she arrived on the third floor, she approached the first door to her left. Placing her tiny cardboard boxes on her doormat, she fished out her wallet from her purse, flipping through the leather folds before eventually acquiring her house key. Inserting the key inside the slot, she twisted the silver doorknob.

She leaned her ear against the door, smiling as she heard a muffled click from the other side.

Withdrawing the key, she proceeded to push the door wide open.

Stepping back, she reclaimed her tiny cardboard boxes with her right arm while her left hand seized the handle of her pink luggage. With her belongings in her possession, she entered, flickering the light switch along the way.

A couple of steps in and she eventually placed the boxes and luggage next to the shoe rack, aligning them close to each other. Twirling around, she sprang toward the door and quickly closed it shut. With an exasperated sigh, she smiled.

Removing her brown shoes and replacing them with white sandals, she hurriedly strolled through the narrow halls until she reached the dark living room and kitchen. Wasting no time, she let her hand roam across the surface of the cream-tinted walls before finally relocating another light switch.

A spark of light brightened the entirety of the room.

Estelle heaved a deep breath, her seafoam eyes taking in the familiarity of the area.

Besides the joint kitchen-dining room and the bathroom, the living room was the largest by far—consisting of a medium-sized rug beneath the wooden flooring, two cream couches, which were arranged with simple floral patterns and a coffee tables at the center, decorated with a vase comprised of efflorescence flowers. At the far end of the room was a staircase leading up to her loft bedroom which consisted of simply her bed, her storage closet and, a few possessions.

Estelle scanned the area, her eyes resting on a wooden shrine at the far end of the living room sandwiched between the sliding doors.

Ever so slowly, Estelle made her way toward the shrine.

Situated on the shrine were two framed pictures, one red and one green. The first red one was comprised of a beautiful woman with strikingly similar light salmon hair. The only difference is that her hair was far longer as it stretched down her back, accompanied with bright brown eyes, and an impressive smile. Next to the female-centric picture was the green framed picture—this time, comprised of a male. With light blonde locks and emerald eyes, it was no surprise that the resemblance of the Heurassein men was strikingly uncanny.

Smiling softly, Estelle sat down with her hands placed over her thighs and her legs neatly aligned on one side.

"Hello, mother," She greeted the first picture and then the second, "Hello, father."

Her facial features softened. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she delivered the next two words…

"I'm home."

* * *

With her clothes and few materialistic items neatly piled in their respective clutter, Estelle smiled. Once more, she looked around her living room, mentally checking off the things she had already unpacked.

"Let's see now…" She muttered to herself, redirecting her index finger over to her three stacks of clothing. "Clothes, check…" She turned her head, her eyes landing on the half-opened cardboard boxes filled with souvenirs, "Souvenirs check…" And then it hit her.

A smile appeared across her lips.

Oh, how could she forget?

"Pictures!" She suddenly cried, clapping her hands together.

Darting her focus to the wooden shrine, she beamed.

"Oh, mother, father! I have so much to show you!" The second she said those words, she proceeded to go to her open luggage and seized the tiny bulk nestled on the far side corner. Rising from the floor, she walked toward the shrine before settling herself in front of it.

Gazing down at the pictures, she began with an explanation. "The places we went to stay during the Project were just so lovely," She giggled lightly. "But if it were not for the people I've met; the trip would not have been so memorable and fun."

On cue, she lifted the first picture from the stack.

"These two are Rita and Judith," She went on, directing her finger from the brunette teenager and to the blue-haired woman who was both making peace signs directed at the camera. "They are my best female friends! Together, we're called the Beauty Core! It's a team which Judith suggested and overtime, the name just sort of stuck."

Giggling over her joke, she smiled. "Anyway, Rita is only fourteen-year-old but her acting is phenomenal! She's super amazing and talented! I have no doubt that her future as a budding actress would be bright!" A pause. "Next to her is Judith. She's an international model. Similar to my case, this was actually the first time she attempted acting! And she did pretty well too! Also, she may look mature and intimidating, but she can also be quite mischievous and reliable. Overall, a very lovely person who I'm so glad to have met."

Setting down the picture of her two female friends on the coffee table next to her, she refocused her attention to the next picture.

"This is Karol," She continued, pointing to the short boy who was a part of the group dramatically posing. "Like Rita, he has so much potential in his acting. He's very optimistic about almost everything and puts in so much effort into his work! Also, he's so adorable whenever he talks about his interest in video games or comic books." Skimming through the picture, she carried on her explanation with the remaining pair.

"Raven is a veteran actor, which means that he already knows the expectations of what to do and what not to do in our acting. He's very knowledgeable and entertaining! He's also very good friends with one of the other co-workers who play as one of the villains in the storyline!" A light giggle escaped her lips. "Though he can be a bit weird at times, his presence is very uplifting. And then there's Patty!" She continued, changing the topic to introduce the little blonde girl wearing a pirate attire. "She's Flynn's half-sister. Very spunky and eccentric, which pretty much fits the criteria for her character. She's so adorable and amazing!"

Once she was finished with the second photo, she took the third picture.

At the sight, she couldn't help but grin.

"This is Repede," She began, pointing to the blue canine seated below the male pair. "He's Yuri's faithful dog. He's so cool in every way, though I find it a bit hard sometimes to be around him. You see, Repede enjoys the company of others but for some reason, when it comes to me…he doesn't seem very interested." Estelle explained, scratching the back of her exposed back. "But he's very endearing and dedicated to his crafts, so long as you respect him."

She then points to the tall blonde of the male pair, his right arm locked over the other male who did the same to him with the use of his left.

"And this is Flynn," She revealed, "He's so daring and charming, very much like the character he plays in the Project. Though I have to admit, the first time I've met him, I did have a crush on him…" She mumbled, blushing a little. "Though I no longer harbor any means of attraction toward him, I still appreciate his presence. He's very kind and does what he can to assist me, especially with choreography."

She inhaled a deep breath, bracing herself for the final individual.

"Last but not least, there's Yuri…"

As soon as Estelle uttered his name, she could feel her heart thumping a bit faster and her cheeks burning. Inhaling a deep breath to ease herself, she let out a sheepish grin.

"For starters, he's a fantastic teacher. Because he's already experienced with acting, he would help me out as much as he can. When I'm in doubt of my skills, he'll be the first to step in and encourage me. He's in good terms with everyone, especially with the main cast. He loves to tease people, very cooperative, a surprisingly good cook, loves to see and make people laugh, has a big sweet tooth…" Realizing that she was focusing too much on him, Estelle cleared her throat and added in,

"But really, there are simply no words that would best describe him as an overall individual. I can't say that he's amazing…or magnificent…or even incredible because…."

A smile unconsciously made its way through her slightly chapped lips.

"He's just so perfect in every way." She confessed as she looked down at the picture, feeling herself get lost in his deep, ebony eyes. "Absolutely breathtaking."

* * *

Back to the fictional town of 'Aurnion', a certain man lounges lazily on the small platform next to the windowsill, watching idly at the myriad of stars plastered on the seemingly clear, cold night sky.

Leaning his back against the side of the wall, he snuck a glance over to the Bodhi bracelet on his wrist. Smiling, he placed his hand over the bracelet, letting his fingers gently brush along its metallic surface.

Though his friends had gone and left since this morning, he couldn't help but feel rather empty inside. He closed his eyes as he recalled the distinctive sounds and gestures of his respective friends.

Patty's attempts to imitate the tongue of a Pirate…

Karol's familiar footsteps scampering about…

Judith's soft, nurturing lectures…

Raven's shameless frolicking…

Rita's notorious outbursts…

And of course, Estelle's contagious giggle and upbeat attitude.

Such a memory, despite fleeting, caused Yuri to smile.

"Woof!"

Reopening his eyes, he blinked and proceeded to chuckle.

"You miss them too, huh?" He mumbled, reaching out to fondly pat his loyal companion who was currently sprawled over his legs. "So do I."

The pocket of his dark sweater vibrated.

Curious, he pulled out his phone. Reading the name of the caller, his eyes widened. Not wasting a minute, he pressed the phone screen against the shell of his ear.

At the sound of the familiar voice, the corner of his lips raised in amusement.

"Took you long enough to answer," He began, laughing. Turning his sights toward the night sky, he widened his grin. "So, how'd you been?"

* * *

 **And that marks chapter four!**

 **Hello again, this is Kroissant! How's everyone?**

 **Now that I'm starting Thanksgiving break, I could finally focus on my works here at Ao3. And what better way to celebrate with a brand new chapter?**

 **Honestly, this whole chapter was unplanned. Instead, I thought maybe it'd be best to just wear the character's shoes and go from there. So, here we are! What do you think?**

 **With the reveal of Estelle's dead parents, a little mystery will begin. Also, who do you think Yuri was talking to on his phone?**

 **Time will tell for the future chapters!**

 **Anyway, I just want to shout out to MaggsChuu for their wonderful comments!** Like **I said, comments give me** alot **of strength so I just want to say thank you!**

 **Alright, that's all for now!**

 **Onto planning the next chapter for CHECKMATE (if you guys are interested, come read! So far, it's just Yustelle and it's a complete 360 scenario compared to this fanfiction!)**

 **Until then, the updates are still up in the air!**

 **Please wait for the chapter and I'll do what I can to deliver!**

 **So thank you!**

 **P.S. suggested songs**

 **Letting go and Worlds Apart from Wreck-It Ralph 2 (on Spotify)**


	5. Pleasant Intrigue

"No, that does not fit the criteria!" The Director suddenly cried, flinging his arms above the air like a madman. "The theme is justice! Justice, I tell you!"

Heeding his orders, the employees sitting across the large rectangular table unanimously nodded their heads and got straight to work, their concentration fixated on their computers, manuscripts and jotting down notes in a frenzy.

On the far side of the conference room sat Yuri and Flynn who stared at the chaotic mess displayed before them.

"So much for an easy discussion," Yuri grumbled, planting his elbow on top of his knee and resting his chin under his hand. "How long has it been?"

In response, Flynn checked his wristwatch and frowned. "About four hours,"

Yuri heavily sighed. "Great…"

"Come on, Yuri, don't be like that," Flynn advised his best friend, "Don't be rude and pay attention. This is an important matter." And averted his attention to the table once more.

Rolling his eyes, Yuri slanted his head to the side. Sneaking a glance at the window nearby, he frowned deeply. With the majority of the employees and cast members no longer around, there weren't many things left to do, no shenanigans to partake. Long tiring hours wasted with nothing but conference calls and meetings with overseas agencies who were interested to join in the bandwagon…

Thinking it over, he closed his eyes.

As much as he loathed Flynn and his opinions, he was pretty much right.

It was already a given that their names were prominent household names among the general public. By using that to their advantage, all they simply needed to do was to spread the word of their project to their sponsors and from there, they'll be set. To further ensure that the Project's deliverance to their global audience becomes a major success, he and Flynn were given orders to stay behind and involve themselves with the Director, Producer and the rest of the staff who chose to remain in the vicinity as well, in doing so to promote as much attention as they could.

Two days have passed and still, no progress.

Emitting an exasperated sigh, Yuri straightened his posture and eyed the large script resting on his lap. Flipping through the pages, he abruptly stopped at a random section with a written sample of one of the dialogues. Reading it over, a light chuckle escaped his throat.

As one of the first people to be given a role in the Project, followed shortly by Flynn and Raven, he and the others were given specific instructions to help scout the rest of the main cast.

By the end of the month, they managed to get Karol, Rita, Judith, and Patty on board.

By then, all except one role was filled.

Yuri closed his eyes as he began to recall the memory from long ago.

Once more, the Director requested for his assistance to search for their last cast member. His instructions were clear and simple.

 _"Trust your gut and find that girl."_

And so, Yuri did just that. Making sure that they selected the right individual for the lead female character, he was expected to be present for the majority of the audition. At first, he and the team thought hoped the search would be quick and easy, as with the rest of other actors and actresses they managed to take under their wing. Another week had passed and gone and in the end, they still did not found their 'princess'.

With Flynn's suggestion, the Director and Producer proposed for a blind audition out to the public. To put it simply, they were going to select someone from outside the entertainment department and give a chance to those who were aspiring to be actors and actresses. If one were to be chosen, the Project would definitely become their big break.

Yuri brought a hand over to his aching temple, becoming reminded of the difficulty that went along with the endless search.

And of course, there was a price to it—him.

As the main lead, Yuri had to force himself to partake in the auditions. What he didn't realize was how uncomfortable the situation was as, much to his surprise and dismay, the majority of the candidates being tested included his fans, male and female, from all over the region who discovered that he was involved in the Project. Though he didn't mind them and their…clinginess and obsession over him, they didn't seem to fit the right conditions of such role. Time and time again, he would rehearse the dialogues with one of them, only to find them either staring intensely, drooling or taking pictures around him.

Just when all hope was lost, she arrived.

He couldn't remember what day it was or what time specifically, but he would never forget the first time they met—after the sixteenth audition when he attempted to leave the audition room, the door abruptly opened…slamming him against the wall in the process.

 _"I'm so sorry! Are you alright?"_

 _Yuri groaned, wrapping his arm around his chest as he tried to recover from the sudden impact. "I'm fine…" He grumbled, waving his hand dismissively. Despite his blurry vision, he took notice of the strange pinkish blob bouncing all over the place. Rubbing his eyes a few times, he blinked before propping his head upwards._

 _Seafoam and ebony eyes clashed._

 _"And you are?"_

 _The pink-haired woman squeaked, retreating a few steps backward. Gripping tight of the paper in her hands, she ducked her head and mumbled softly under her breath._

 _Yuri raised his eyebrow. "What did you say?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow. "I can't hear you— "_

 _"I'm…ESTELLISE!" Realizing her sudden outburst, the woman quickly placed a hand over her mouth. Blushing furiously, she proceeded to bow her head multiple times. "I-I didn't mean to hit on you—I mean, hurt you!"_

 _Yuri grinned at her constant rambling. "It's alright," He assured her as he removed his arm from his chest to rake the back of his head. "So, you're here for the audition?"_

 _Estellise looked up and nodded meekly._

 _"Alright, let's go here…" Yuri trailed off, pointing to the center of the room._

 _Estellise bit her bottom lip before trailing after him._

 _After a couple of steps, Yuri paused in his tracks and whirled around. On cue, Estellise did the same on her end, though made sure to draw back a few steps to give him some personal space. Such a minor action was enough to make Yuri crack a tiny smile, though was quick to dissipate when he heard the Director clear his throat through one of the frosted windows from behind._

 _From the corner of his eye, he noticed how stiff her posture was and how her lips were trembling from sheer nervousness. "Hey, relax," He spoke up, startling the latter. Flashing her a grin, he proceeded to bring a hand over his chest and added, "Why don't you repeat after me?" As he said those words, he took in a deep breath. "Breath in and…" Counting to five seconds, he released out. "And out…"_

 _Bobbing her head, Estellise mimicked his actions. "Breath in and out…" She mumbled under her breath. And then another. And another._

 _"Are you good now?" Yuri asked, earning him another quick nod. His grin widened. "Excellent," Peering over his shoulder, he waved his arm from side to side._

 _On cue, a buzzing noise ensues from the background._

 _"It's the middle of the night, at the town of Mantaic," The Director's voice boomed thunderously from the speakers as he read over the manuscript for the umpteenth time that day. "The main lead implicitly executes one of the villains, thus giving him the title of a vigilante. Shortly after his discussion with his friend, the main heroine enters. It's revealed that she has heard of his actions." Raising his arm high above his head, he cried, "And…ACTION!"_

 _Right away, Yuri settled into his character. With his poker expression, ready and present, he looked up at the pink-haired woman straight in the eye and delivered his line in a nonchalant yet soft tone, "So, you heard it all?"_

 _Dipping her chin, Estellise mustered a soft, "…I'm sorry."_

 _Once she said those lines, Yuri approached her, never breaking eye contact. "Are you afraid of me?" He asked, his voice becoming a mere whisper. When he didn't receive a response, he took this an opportunity to take a few steps forward. Without bothering to look back, he added, "If you are, you can quit right here. Join Flynn and go back to the castle."_

 _Estellise closed her eyes, listening to his words intently. Collecting her hands together and placing them over her long skirt, she turned around and reopened her eyes. "…I'm not going back." She declared with no hesitation._

 _On cue, Yuri turned to face her once more. "Hey…" He began, only to get cut off again._

 _"…It's true that the things you've done are against the law." Estellise spoke up, keeping her voice calm and steady. "But I…I'm confused." She veered her seafoam eyes to the wooden flooring as she went on. "It's also true that your actions saved the lives of others…"_

 _As she said those words, Yuri quietly scanned the area, pretending to see the residents of Mantaic around him. Closing his eyes, he replied back with the usual frank tone, "You never know, someday I might turn my blade on you."_

 _"You'd never do something like that without a reason," Estellise countered back, maintaining her usual soft voice. Putting her hands behind her back, she tipped her head slightly to the side and smiled._

 _"If you ever end up pointing your sword at me, I'm sure I will have done something to deserve it."_

 _Startled by her words, Yuri swallowed the lump in his throat. Though she was merely following her lines from the paper, the precise deliverance of her words, the way she projected her voice in a subtle yet comforting tone…and her seafoam eyes, though hesitated, was brimming with sheer confidence prior to her performance._

 _Brushing the strange feeling bubbling in his stomach, an idea popped in his head. "If you're going to go with Flynn, now's your chance," He alibied, testing to see what she'll say next, "He seemed like he was in a hurry."_

 _Without looking back at the paper, Estellise retained her smile. "No." She stated firmly and naturally, bringing her hands back over her skirt and enclosing them again. "I'm going to continue on this journey with you. It's what I want. Traveling with you, I know I'll find the right path for myself, too." Closing her eyes, she pressed her hands over her chest, close to her thumping heart. Fluttering her eyes open, she glanced down at her feet as she mumbled, "So, what I'm thinking is…"_

 _Without thinking, Estellise made way to the dark-haired man and extended her hand outward._

 _Surprised by her gesture, Yuri looked at the hand being offered to him, then at her._

 _"Here's to the road ahead." Estellise declared, followed by another sweet smile._

 _Yuri's eyes widened, completely taken aback. He glanced over to his hand, then back at hers. "…Thanks," And as he reached out to accept hers…_

 _"CUT!"_

 _The pair stopped what they were doing and turned around._

 _Seconds later, a massive round of applause and loud whistling were heard beyond the frosted windows situated on the room._

 _"W-what's happening?" Estellise wondered aloud, feeling embarrassed by the sudden attention on them. "D-did I do something wrong?"_

 _All Yuri could do was shake his head and grin widely._

 _No doubt about it, she was definitely the one for the role._

 _"Your name's Estelle, right?"_

 _Estellise squirmed in her spot, her face completely red. "It's Estellise…" She corrected him before shaking her head. "But, I don't mind that." And flashed him a sweet smile. Once more, she stretched her hand outward for him to take. "And you must be Mister Lowell, right?"_

 _Yuri laughed. "Call me Yuri," He insisted, accepting her hand. "Welcome to the team, Estelle."_

 _And from there, the rest was history._

* * *

"Yuri? Hello?"

Losing his train of thought, Yuri quickly blinked and turned around. "Wha…?"

Wiping the drool off his partly opened mouth with the back of his arm, he blinked a few times before surveying his surroundings. Slowly, his eyes widened. "Wait, what happened to the conference?" He began, immediately jolting upright. "Where's everyone?"

Flynn glared at him. "I told you to pay attention but you ended up sleeping!" He suddenly cried, rising from his seat. "Luckily for you, the Director issued a break time."

"Why didn't you bother to wake me up then, huh?" Yuri retorted as he leaned back in his seat, stretching his arms high and releasing another loud yawn.

No response.

Grumbling, Yuri hastily arose from his seat though was quick to snatch his manuscript in time before it hit the ground. As he proceeded to stroll over to the exit, he paused. "Yo, Flynn? You coming or what?" He asked, peering over his shoulder.

Finally, Flynn turned to look at him.

Yuri furrowed his eyebrows.

The way how his friend postured himself—the muscles on his shoulders tightened and his frown deepening, there was no mistake that something was definitely amiss.

"Tell you what? Next time we come back from lunch, I'll stay awake," Yuri assured him with a mischievous smirk. "How's that? So, we're even or what?"

Flynn shook his head. "Tell me something…" As he lifted his chin upwards, Yuri suddenly felt the growing tension in the room. "What's your relationship with Estellise?"

A moment of silence filled the atmosphere.

Yuri narrowed his eyes. "What's got to do with anything?"

"While you were sleeping…" Flynn began, though was a bit hesitated. "You said Estellise's name."

A tint of pink flushed across Yuri's cheeks. "You probably heard it wrong…" He insisted, quickly motioning his head the other way to avoid eye contact.

Flynn quirked an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

Yuri opened his mouth to say something, only to close it again. Damn Flynn and his atrocious questions. "Let's just leave it at that." And headed straight for the door.

"If there's nothing between the two of you, does that mean she's available?"

Not wanting to hear anymore, Yuri quickly swung the door open, slamming it behind him. As he stormed out the room, he failed to catch Flynn's teasing grin.

"Honestly, that Flynn…" Yuri muttered lowly under his breath, followed by a few curses here and there. At the thought of his friend together with a certain pink-haired woman, he clenched his hands into fists and quickened his pace. While aimlessly rushing through the halls, he ignored the startled stares and worried expressions of those around him.

After what seemed like hours, he finally stopped in front of his door.

Without a second thought, he dragged the doorknob forward and entered inside.

"Woof!"

Blinking, Yuri turned around and forced a smile at the sight of the canine approaching him.

"Hey, Repede!" He greeted the latter, bending his knees slightly as he stretched his hand forward. After their brief exchange of high-fives, he strode forward with the latter following after him until he reached his bed. Plopping down on the mattress, he sighed, raking his fingers through his hair in frustration. He veered his eyes downward, watching Repede settle down next to him.

As Yuri slightly bend down to scratch his partner's dog, he snuck a glance at the Bodhi bracelet peeking through his long sleeve. He then pressed his hand over it before quickly removing it, suddenly becoming of the words Flynn had told him earlier in the conference room. Hoping to drown them in the back of his mind, he fished out his phone from the pocket of his sweater to distract himself.

Swapping his finger across the screen a few times, he eventually resorted to pressing his thumb over the green messenger app. In an instant, a long list of contacts flooded in his screen. Recognizing a few familiar names, he proceeded to click each corresponding message that he had not read as of yet. Due to his busy schedule, he wasn't able to get a chance to check if his friends were able to make it safely back home. With that said, now was the perfect time to look through them.

The first one that appeared was his little man, Karol. As soon as he clicked his icon, a picture of the young boy manifested, followed by a couple more with the haughty brunette and perky twin-tailed girl.

Yuri blew a whistle. "Guess they made it safe and sound," He mumbled to himself, chuckling a little as he inspected the pictures that the boy provided for him. Despite the rather fuzzy texture of each corresponding photo, Yuri was still able to make out the signs above their heads which read, 'Welcome to Canada'. Instinctively, he pressed the picture until a range of ideograms popped up and clicked on the thumbs up icon.

Exiting out the first icon, he proceeded to tap on the next one. This time, it was Judith and in her usual way of communication, decided to send him three ideograms—one was of an airplane, the second was the national flag of Japan and the third being a face blowing a kiss. Shaking his head, Yuri mirrored the same response he did with Karol's.

Next came the old man. Unlike the other two, this one was rather straightforward. It had no ideograms nor photos—just a casual use of the O.K. in capitalized letters. Knowing Raven, he was the type to do things that were quick and convenient for him. With that in mind, it was enough for Yuri to believe that he made it back home as well. As always, he replied back with the usual thumbs up.

And then finally, Estelle.

As he let his thumb hover over her icon, he braced himself for her incoming message. Wasting no time, he pressed it. A second later, a sole sentence appeared in front of him.

Reading it over, he smiled.

 **I'm home.**

Just two words and that was enough to make him feel warm inside.

As he attempted to respond with another thumb up, he paused and stared down at the message displayed before him. Though he personally didn't like playing favorites, he couldn't bring himself to give Estelle the usual sign as he did for everyone else.

To him, it felt like a complete slap in the face.

"What do you think, Repede?" He asked the canine who was currently nestled between his legs. "What should I do?"

Repede tipped his head to the side with a deadpanned expression. If the canine had the ability to talk to him, he would've demanded him to stop worrying and just do it.

Such a thought prompted Yuri to laugh. "Thanks for the help anyway, bud," He chuckled and once more scratched the dog's head in an affectionate manner.

In response, Repede barked before inclining his chin to switch the position of his pipe from the left through right.

Frowning, Yuri mulled the thought over and over. He then turned to his right, his ebony eyes lingering at the empty space next to him. His lips curved formed a straight line as the memory from two days ago began to replay like a broken record.

When they were close to attempting their second kiss, much to his disappointment, Estelle withdrew back at the very last minute as she got too embarrassed to reciprocate the gesture. Instead, all she could muster was a quick peck on his nose.

Then again, there was him who in return, leaned in and brushed his lips over her temple, let it remain like that for no less a minute and afterward, declared that they should get moving.

…Not what he had imagined or secretly anticipated it to be but that was alright.

If anything, Yuri would never forgive himself if he'd hurt her. Regardless if she was fragile or strong, Yuri couldn't bring himself to take things too far, especially with how well-established their relationship was from the get-go. For now, all he could do was relish that moment and be patient with her until she was ready to take a step to their…how should he put it? Strangers turned friends into lovers?

Shaking his head, he muttered a low, "Is that how it is?"

Seemingly preoccupied with his thoughts, he'd accidentally swiped his thumb over the icon on the upper right corner. Once he was aware of this, he looked down. His eyes widened.

"Shit, shit, shit!" He cursed over and over again as he stared in horror at the phone screen with Estelle's picture displayed. Before he could press the red button to cancel the phone call, it was already too late.

"…Hello?"

Yuri gulped. Now he'd done it.

"Hello? Yuri?"

At the sound of Estelle's soft voice, Yuri cleared his throat. Bringing his phone to the shell of his ear, he muttered a casual, "Hey, Estelle,"

"Oh, Yuri!" Estelle cried rather joyfully, "How are you? How's everything there?"

Her childish giddiness made him smile. "Everything's great, actually," He replied back, "Though the conference meet-and-greets can be a pain."

There was a brief moment of hesitation on Estelle's part. "I'm sorry to hear that," She apologized sadly.

Yuri waved his hand dismissively. "Don't apologize, none of it's your fault," He assured her. "So, how are you?"

"I'm good. Doing well," She giggled, causing Yuri to widen his grin. "I finished packing all my stuff as of yesterday."

Yuri raised an eyebrow. "I don't remember you packing a lot of stuff." He pointed out, leaning back on the mattress and resting the back of his head above his right arm.

"Neither did I," Estelle agreed, "Maybe it's because of the souvenirs I've bought during our trip…"

Yuri shrugged. "Could be."

"How's Repede and Flynn?" Estelle changed the topic, "Are they faring well?"

Removing the phone screen from his ear, he leaned a bit forward to present his electronic device toward his canine companion. "Repede, Estelle wants to talk to you,"

Repede sniffed the phone before emitting a loud bark.

Recognizing the familiar noise, Estelle cried, "Oh, Repede! I've missed you!"

Hearing this, Yuri rolled his eyes. "Yup, don't mind me," He mumbled under his breath.

"Did you say something, Yuri?"

"No, nothing," Yuri quickly answered, ignoring the burning sensation on his cheeks. Glancing over at his dog, he frowned as Repede sent him an amusing look.

"Anyway," He began, motioning his head to the other direction in an attempt to avoid the prying eyes of the canine. "As for Flynn, same as usual."

Estelle giggled from the other end of the line. "I see," She replied, sounding relieved. "That's good to hear."

Though they weren't exactly talking face to face, Yuri could imagine her shake her head in dismay. "By the way, am I bothering you?"

Yuri shook his head. "No, not really." He turned to stare at the clock situated on the far corner of his room. "It's still 2pm. What about you?"

"5pm over here," Estelle answered simply with a hint of teasing in her voice. "Anyway, is there a reason why you're calling me?"

Hearing this, Yuri chuckled. "Good question," He muttered, staring up at the ceiling. "I…" It was then that he realized that he had no proper answer to give her. He paused for a moment to think it over, searching for the right words to say. "I don't know. I just…"

"Come on, you can tell me," Estelle encouraged him, getting interested, "Is it bad news?"

"Nope."

"Is it…good news?" She guessed.

"Wrong again," Yuri teased, which earned him a low groan. "Man, you're terrible at this, aren't you?"

Estelle heavily sighed. "That's because you're not giving me any hints."

Okay, she got him there.

"Then how 'bout I just tell you the answer?"

The sound of her light-hearted laughter and encouraging, "Yes, please!" caused his heart to accelerate a bit faster.

Sighing deeply, he began with, "Well, I called you because…" He paused for a few seconds before uttering the next four words, "I just miss you."

The sudden silent treatment he was receiving from the other line made him feel queasy. Oh, no, did he take it too far?

"Estelle?'

"…I miss you too, Yuri."

Yuri froze, completely appalled as he registered her words. Finally, his lips curved upwards. "Really?" He pressed on, wanting some form of confirmation from the latter.

"Truly."

Yuri smiled, his heart aflutter. "That's great to hear."

A knock on his door caught his attention.

"Estelle, I'll have to call you back later," He told her, shifting his eyes from the ceiling and to the rattling noise beyond the door. "Duty calls,"

"Another conference call?" She wondered.

"Probably.

"Alright, take your time!"

"Thanks," Yuri thanked her, "Oh and Estelle?"

"Hmm?"

"It's nice to hear from you again," He commented, emphasizing the weight of his words. "Hope we could continue these long-distance calls."

Estelle smiled. "That would be wonderful." A measured sigh followed. "See you next time?"

"See you," He repeated before hanging up. Yuri pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at the screen, smiling.

 _Knock_

 _Knock_

 _Knock_

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" He exclaimed, standing up from the mattress and making his way over to his closed door. Twisting the knob to the right, he thrust the door open. "What is it now?" Recognizing the tall blonde man standing next to him, he frowned. "What do you want, Flynn?"

"Nothing, really," Flynn replied back, wearing a confident grin.

Yuri furrowed his eyebrows. "Look, I don't have time with your bullshit." He stressed, "Either you leave now or— "

Suddenly, a hearty chuckle emanated, cutting off their conversation.

"Yuri Lowell! Is this how I raised you to be?"

Yuri stiffened in his spot. Turning his head toward the direction of the familiar feminine voice, his eyes widened. Emerging from behind Flynn was a beautiful middle-aged woman with strikingly similar long, ink hair as his.

 **"…Mom?"**

* * *

Lowering her phone on her lap, a smile graced across Estelle's lips.

"Well?"

Propping her head up, seafoam eyes made contact with lustrous emerald.

"How was your talk with your boyfriend?" Ioder pressed on, wiggling his eyebrows.

Estelle blushed. "N-no, it's just…" Becoming aware that she was stumbling over her words, Estelle inhaled a deep breath. She averted her focus to the gloomy skies beyond the closed doors to the balcony to collect her thoughts. Afterward, she fixated her attention back to her cousin sitting across from her at the coffee table. Placing her electronic device on the table, she took hold of her spoon and began swirling the utensil inside her cup of hot chocolate a few times. "Knowing Yuri, he probably called me out of nowhere."

"I see," Ioder replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Guess it's good to know that you two are still…you know?"

Estelle shot him a confused look. And then it hit her. Blushing furiously, she cried, "Ioder!" And turned around, seizing a pillow from her couch nearby before proceeding to flung it toward her cousin.

Luckily, Ioder saw this and quickly dodged, angling his body just in time before the pillow hit him. "Oh, Auntie! Uncle!" He exclaimed over his shoulder, laughing joyously, "Your dear, sweet Estellise has a boy— "

Before he could finish his sentence, another pillow hit him directly in the face, followed by an abrupt and annoyed, "Ioder!" in the background. Brushing the item off of him, all he could do was snicker lowly under his breath.

My, was his cousin too easy to tease.

* * *

 **And here it is! Fifth chapter!**

 **I don't know why but I suddenly have this overwhelming energy to make more chapters! So yay! And man, can you believe that I was able to publish an overall five chapters (three chapters for SoSN and two chapters for Checkmate) in just a month of November? It's thanks to you wonderful readers that I was able to keep writing so thank you! I'm very grateful!**

 **As for those who were curious, the answer to Yuri's phone call from the previous chapter was...his mom! Lily Lowell! (OC) With her presence, things are starting to become a bit more interesting.**

 **Now with Yuri's centric chapter out of the way, the next chapter is bound to have more surprises!**

 **By Friday-Saturday (or hopefully in the weekends), I'll be able to post chapter four of Checkmate**

 **For now, please be patient!**

 **Updates are still in the air!**

 **Comments are always welcome!**

 **I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving break!**

 **See you later!**

 **P.S. suggested songs -**

 **Far Away by Nickelback**


	6. Who is She?

"Mom?" Yuri suddenly cried, "What are you doing here?"

Unfazed by his outburst, Lily simply replied back with, "What does it look like? I am to see my one and only son, that's what!" And flashed him a toothy grin.

Leaning his right shoulder against the railing of the door, Yuri crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "I thought you said that you weren't gonna show up until Thursday?"

The middle-aged woman tipped her head to the side. "But dear, it IS Thursday." She points out.

Yuri blinked. "It is?"

Smiling, Lily nodded.

A light chuckle erupted from the background, causing Yuri to avert his attention to the other figure standing behind his mother.

Readjusting his stance, he planted his free hand on his right hip and shot a glare at his troublesome childhood friend who looked back at him with the same carefree grin.

"That's what you get for not keeping up with your schedule," Flynn mouthed, chuckling away.

Yuri's right eyebrow twitched. Before he could open his mouth to protest, he felt something move in between his legs.

"Woof!"

Becoming familiar with the bark, Lily immediately lowered her gaze and beamed. "Repede!"

Without hesitation, the middle-aged woman crouched to her knees and spread her arms wide open, embracing the canine and fondly scratching his crown in an affectionate manner to which the latter was more than eager to reciprocate.

"How are you, hmm?" Lily asked curiously. "Have you been a good boy?"

"Woof! Woof!" Repede barked, sticking out his tongue to lick her cheeks playfully.

Lily laughed delightfully. "Yes, yes!" She agreed as if she understood him. "My, that's good to hear!"

Watching his beloved mother and canine companion interact made Yuri smile.

And just like that, all the frustration that had built up inside him was no more and was instead, replaced with that of familial warmth.

Now that he thought about it, the last time he'd seen her was more than a year or so—shortly after he was confirmed to take the main role for the Project, he found himself suddenly trapped in his tight working schedules.

As a result, he never had the opportunity to personally tell her the news.

In spite of their general communication through text messages and video chats every now and then (and the occasional updates from Flynn's side as their mothers happened to be close associates), it became rather difficult to drop everything and just spend time with each other.

Over time, the yearning feeling to relish one's company grew each passing day.

And now, at long last—a window of opportunity to make things right again.

To rekindle their connection as mother and son once more…the thought of that happening at this very moment was enough to make Yuri's heart swell with happiness.

Clearing his throat, Yuri spoke up. "Hey, mom?"

Propping her head upwards, Lily shot him a curious look. "Yes, darling?"

"Did you eat yet?"

Lily thought for a moment before shaking her head.

"Then, would you like to join us for some lunch?" Flynn joined in on the conversation, catching her attention. "Since you came so abruptly, we'll be more than happy to pay for your share."

"Nonsense!" Lily exclaimed as she rose from the ground. Lightly brushing the invisible dirt off of her long green skirt, she insisted that she'll take care of her own portion.

"But what about your jetlag?" Yuri added in, growing concerned. "Aren't you tired at all?"

"Well, I was at first…" She admitted, followed by a heavy sigh. "But seeing the two of you again— "

"Woof!"

Lily smiled. "Yes, yes, and Repede as well," She added in a joking manner with a lighthearted smile. "I've regained some of my strength back."

Flynn shook his head. "Still, that isn't right." He pressed on, "Please, allow us to treat you. It would be rude for us not to."

Motioning her head to face the tall blonde young man, Lily's grin broadened. "Hmm…well, you are persistent." She trailed off, mulling the thought over. Finally, she beamed. "Oh, alright then. Maybe just this once."

Yuri grinned, her words music to his ears.

"I'll go on ahead and get us a table at the cafeteria," Flynn spoke up, catching their attention.

Hearing this, Yuri motioned his head to face his childhood friend once more. "We'll meet you there."

Flynn nodded. "Come on, Repede," He uttered, signaling the canine over. "Let's go," And so, he departed away from the pair with Repede solemnly walking after him and emitting an occasional fit of barks which echoed through the halls.

"I'm glad to know that the two of you are in good terms."

Darting his eyes from his best friend's retreating figure to the older woman standing beside him, Yuri quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" He asked, twisting his body around and wandering back inside his room.

"Oh, you know what I mean," The middle-aged woman persisted, entering his room as well. "You used to fight all the time when you guys were little. And now, look at you and Flynn—not a trace of bad blood!" Shaking her head, she released a heavy sigh of relief. "You've really matured since then."

Yuri shrugged. "Well, we still do our bantering and fighting." He admitted, plopping himself back down on the mattress. "Nothing's different, really."

Making her way over to his bed, Lily proceeded to sit down next to him. "Then tell me, what's different?" She began, her brown eyes sparkling with hidden excitement. "Besides work, how's life in general? Have you been eating well? Are you sleeping properly?"

Yuri cracked a lop-sided grin. "Woah, slow down, mom!" He cried, "One question at a time!"

Lily rolled her eyes. "I am your mother, you know." She noted, reaching out to playfully poke him on the nose. "It's part of my job."

Shaking his head, Yuri sighed. "You got me there." He replied, "I've been doing pretty good actually. Been eating healthy, going to the gym, walking Repede—you know, the usual." He propped his head upwards, his ebony eyes gazing idly on the surface of the ceiling. "But thanks to my working schedule, I haven't been sleeping well as I should." He paused for a moment to release another exasperated sigh, "Who knows? Could be stress from all this."

"…I see." Lily mumbled, her eyes softening.

"What about you, mom?"

Blinking, Lily turned to look at her son in the eye. "Well…" Thinking it over, she smiled. "If you must know, everything has been lovely on my end."

Yuri quirked an eyebrow. "As in…?"

"I've been making progress with my gardening. Norin and Finath…" She paused for a moment to laugh at the minor mistake she made. "Well, better known as Auntie Norin and Uncle Finath for you, they've been wonderful company, especially when it involves Repede's pups." Pursing her lips, she tipped her head as she attempted to recall anything else. "Speaking of the pups, they've been doing good. A bit feisty, but what can you do?"

"You don't say?" Yuri replied, grinning widely. "Anything else?"

Lily frowned a little. "I don't think so." She muttered lowly. "I believe that's it."

Yuri smiled. "Alright then."

In response, Lily chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, no it's nothing," She assured him, waving her hand dismissively. As she motioned her head the other way, she took the time to register the entirety of his bedroom. "How long did you say you were staying here?"

Yuri shrugged his shoulder. "Good question." He leaned back, letting out a tired yawn. Once his back had hit the soft mattress, he proceeded to stretch his arms above his head. "Probably by the end of this week or something."

"Are you planning to go home?"

"Which one?"

"Quebec, of course." She stated to him matter-of-factly. "Or does your definition 'home' mean your studio apartment in Toronto?"

Furrowing his eyebrows, the dark-haired man stayed quiet. Yet, his silence spoke volumes to the latter.

"Don't know, really." He admitted, feeling a bit disappointed in himself as he said those words. "I can't seem to choose."

Inhaling heavily, the middle-aged woman bobbed her head. "Is something in your mind?" She asked, worried. "You're not acting like your usual self."

Slowly, Yuri turned to face his mother. He opened his mouth to say something, only to stop himself and shake his head. "It's nothing." And forced a grin.

Lily furrowed her eyebrows, unconvinced. "Really?"

"Yeah."

For good measure, she gave him a long, hard stare.

Sensing her eyes on him, Yuri burst into laughter. "Come on, mom!" He exclaimed, inclining forward and positioning his right leg over the other. "Don't look at me like that!"

"You know I can't help it!" Lily countered, folding her arms. "I worry a lot about you."

"And I appreciate it, really," Yuri expressed, cracking a sincere smile. "Honestly, I'm fine. Just tired, is all."

Catching sight of his mother's sulking figure, he chuckled. "Come on, let's get going," He began, standing up and turned around, leaning forward to snatch his phone from his bed. "Flynn's probably got a table for us. Wouldn't want him to keep waiting." Before he could get a hold of his electronic device, his mother went ahead and snatched it before he had the chance to.

"Ah, ah, ah!" She teased, wagging her index finger from side to side.

Yuri ignored this and once more, attempted to retrieve his phone back.

Again, Lily quickly pulled it out of his reach by pressing it close to her chest.

"After lunch," She chided with a mischievous smirk. "Okay?"

Yuri inwardly groaned. "…Fine." He grumbled, raking through his hair. Clearing his throat, he adjusted his posture and crossed his arms. The way how he kept his calm composure, despite unconsciously stomping his feet against the ground gave Lily an insight of his inner thoughts.

"Where are you going?"

"The bathroom."

She smiled as Yuri silently left the room to give her some privacy.

Lowering her chin, she inspected the electronic device in her possession. Withdrawing it from her chest, an idea popped in her head. Pressing the middle button, she was greeted with a row of numbers for the passcode, along with a picture of Repede and her son serving as its main wallpaper.

"Let's see now…" She then pressed one number, then another at the same time, becoming mindful of the word she was trying to implement.

 **R-E-P-E-D-E**

By the time she pressed the last and final digit, much to her surprise and relief, the security unlocked and was met with a large arrangement of apps.

Of all the apps, the first thing she saw was the multicolored flower-shaped and white background square engine—the photo app.

At the sight, she felt her excitement build up inside her stomach. Before pressing it, she snuck a peek at the half-opened door across the room, hoping that her son nor any witnesses were not present.

A minute passed and she finally concluded that the coast was clear.

"Let's see what you've been hiding~"

Without hesitation, she clicked on the photo app.

In the blink of an eye, the screen magically transformed, transporting her in what appears to be a portal of different albums.

Lily squinted her eyes as she carefully speculating the collection of photo albums presented in front of her. "Camera roll…" She mumbled, reading each of the titles one by one.

From the looks of it, it seems like he's been documenting and recording his past experiences, serving as a timeline of his journey in the duration of the Project.

Other than Repede and Flynn, the other names—Estelle, Captain Karol, Rita, Judy, Raven were unfamiliar to her. And yet, the list went on and on.

But one stood out in particular—the one which entitled Favorites.

Clicking the album, Lily found herself in an array of more photos.

As she expected, many of the photos he took were of the blue canine. With her thumb, she swiped upwards. More and more photos began to manifest.

Humming to herself, Lily began to view each one of them.

The first one happened to be the main cast of Project Vesperia. "They must be his co-workers," She noted, registering each of the members accordingly to their heights.

In her opinion, it was a lovely group picture. Based on the time which read, 'July 13th', it seems that this was the day when the word of Project Vesperia was announced to the public.

Participating in the picture was her son with his childhood friend with their arms resting on one another's, surrounded by a couple of more people—a pink-haired woman on his right, a small boy with a large tuft of brown hair situated in front of him, Repede in the middle, a short brunette girl sulking behind him.

On Flynn's side, there was a rather beautiful-looking woman making a peace sign, accompanied by a rather older man with a ponytail.

Reverting her focus back to her son, her wrinkly features softened. Seeing her son look so happy and alive put a smile on her face as well.

As she chuckled away, she had accidentally swiped her thumb to her right.

Another picture resurfaced, surprising her.

Recognizing the woman immediately as the one with the pink-hair, Lily took note of her rather dainty appearance—a light salmon-pink turtleneck and long, red skirt. Though her choice of outfit was overly simplistic, it suited her very much with her bright, seafoam eyes gleaming brilliantly.

From the looks of it, it seems like the woman was having a delightful time with her arms spread out wide and welcoming the flock of cherry blossoms coming toward her.

Though the picture was slightly fuzzy, except for the woman as the main subject, it was breathtaking. If she had not realized sooner that it was an accidental photo capture, she could've misinterpreted it instead as a model shoot.

She then proceeded to swipe to the right.

This time, it was of a video and to her surprise, it was the pink-haired woman again. Curious, Lily clicked the play button.

Similar to the first picture she saw, the woman had her arms spread out as if she were imitating the wings of a bird. Angling her body, she began to perform a series of twirls, allowing the cherry blossoms to engulf her and consume her whole. Afterward, she let out a hearty laugh and turned around, though lasting for a short notice as her eyes widened when she realized that someone had caught her on the act. And yet, brushing off the redness of her cheeks, she didn't seem to mind one bit and approached the viewer.

"Yuri! Come over here!" She urged the recorder, coming into view with a bright, sunny smile. "There are so many cherry blossoms!"

Followed after her comment, Lily heard the rumbling sound of her son's laughter in the background. "Okay, I'm coming!"

And then the video abruptly ended.

Lily blinked once, then twice. She was at a loss for words.

This woman…who was she?

"Ready to go?"

Recognizing her son's voice holler outside the door, Lily flinched in her seat. Looking back at the screen, she quickly tapped a few times, making sure that the screen returned to the main display.

"Mom?"

"Yes! I'm here!" Lily cried out, rising to her feet while shutting off the phone. As she said those words, she scurried to the exit where she met face-to-face with her worried looking son.

"You okay?" He asked her, concerned.

Lily nodded, lightly chuckling. "I'm fine,"

Yuri's lips broke into a wide grin. "Good," he then proceeded to offer his arm for her to take. Motioning his chin to the right direction, he added in, "The cafeteria's over there."

"Alright," She said, gripping the phone in her dominant hand to prevent it from dropping from her hold. Wrapping her other arm with his, Yuri took a few steps forward.

As they walked together through the halls, Lily couldn't help but let her mind wander back to the pink-haired woman in his photo inventory. "Could she be…"

"Did you say something?"

Picking up his words, Lily quickly assured him that she was just talking to himself. In the back of her head, she knew that she needed to gain some information on this mysterious woman. Who was she? And how important was she to her son?

More importantly, what was their relationship?

Such thoughts caused her to suddenly recall previous memories of long ago, memories that she knew were too sensitive. And knowing her son, he must've chosen to lock them up inside and dare not to touch it.

Shaking her head, Lily sighed.

As much as she wanted to, she didn't have the courage to ask him. No, she couldn't—not when it might foreshadow another heartbreak and potential seclusion as what happened before.

For now, she must cherish the limited time she had left with her workaholic son before he goes on to attend more of the conferences required in his work.

The answers will have to wait.

* * *

It was almost evening and the quiet, dreary atmosphere of the city had heightened to its peak with trucks blazing through and men, women, children escorted by their parents flooding the entirety of the public square.

The Heurassein cousins were not excluded from this rule as they, too, participated in this with their routinely walks around the area.

Pulling her red knitted scarf closer to the lower part of her face, Estelle heaved a sigh of content as she absorbed the festive winter lights and decorations above their heads.

A year has passed and gone but the city streets, the venues, and the neighborhood of London were the same—lively and spirited as Estelle remembered.

"This place really hasn't changed," She commented, holding tight of her cousin's supporting arm.

Ioder smiled. "Good thing it hasn't." He agreed along. "But that's London for you—always changing and unchanging."

"You and your philosophical terms," Estelle replied, giggling lightly. "I still can't believe that you chose acting besides teaching. You would've been a wonderful teacher."

Turning his attention to the female beside him, he raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Says the person who wants to be a writer for children's books." He pointed out, shooting her a knowing look.

Estelle bit her lower lip, quickly turning the other way in embarrassment. "I really can't win with you," She mumbled, submitting to her defeat.

Ioder chuckled, shaking his head as he did so. Refocusing his attention back on the road, he took notice of a green-tinted store with the logo— 'Tales of Shop' not too far away from where they were. Pausing in his tracks, he whistled. "Oh, what have we here?"

Curious as to what he meant, Estelle followed his line of vision to her left. "What are you looking at?"

No response.

"Ioder?'

Suddenly, she found herself getting pulled along. "W-wait, where are we going?" She cried, growing anxious.

"You'll see," Ioder said to her, his eyes trained on the store. Using his free arm, he reached out to tug on the doorknob and ushered his cousin to go inside.

Hesitated, Estelle glanced at him.

"Just trust me," He assured her with a gentle smile.

Inhaling a deep breath, Estelle gently released her hold on him and walked in. The moment she stepped inside, she gasped.

Walking over to the awestruck female, Ioder retained his pleasant smile.

"Congratulations, dear cousin." He began, placing a hand on her shoulder. As he gestured his arm toward the many shelves which were arranged with merchandises, goodies and other accessories and large cardboard cut-outs depicting characters, he added in, "As of today, you are officially a part of the Tales community."

Estelle blushed. "This is…" She trailed off, pausing briefly as she tried to choose the appropriate words to say. "I…" From the corner of her eye, she spotted something pink. Without thinking, she rushed toward it and carefully took it in her hands.

There, resting on her hands, was an adorable, pink-coded cushion.

But it wasn't just any cushion.

"Ioder, look!" Estelle called out, bouncing up and down with excitement. "I'm a pillow! I'm a pillow, Ioder!"

Registering her words, the blonde male brought a hand over his mouth and nodded in response. "Yes, I see that!" He expressed, suppressing the urge to laugh prior to her childlike state.

Smiling, Estelle turned her focus back on the pillow in the shape of the character she happened to play in Project Vesperia. She then gazed down at the wooden bin where she found the item, only to discover that there were more inside. Determined, she threw her hand in and pulled something out.

She beamed. "Rita!" She exclaimed, genuinely shocked yet thrilled to see one her best friends in pillow form. Once more, she pulled out another one. "And Judith!" And then another and another. "Oh, and Karol and Raven!" And then a thought occurred to her. If she and her friends have merchandise, then that must mean…

"Repede!" She cried out of the blue, startling the customers and employees stationed nearby. "Repede must be here!"

"Easy there, Estellise," Ioder scolded her, despite wearing a wide grin plastered on his face. "Focus one thing at a time!"

Catching on to what he meant, the pink-haired woman blinked and looked down at the abundance of pillows she held in her possession. Realizing this, her cheeks flushed pink.

"Here you go," Ioder began, bestowing her a large shopping bag.

Surprised by this, Estellise peered up, silently waiting for some kind of confirmation.

"What are you waiting for?" Ioder urged her, followed by a light chuckle. "Run along and buy to your heart's content!"

Beaming, Estelle happily nodded.

And for the next two hours, the two—or rather, Estelle went on a shopping spree.

"Ioder, check this out!"

"Look, Ioder! It's Rita again!"

"Oh my goodness! They are selling Abyss as well!"

Ioder smiled, nodding along as he escorted his fangirling cousin throughout the store, all the while, managing loads of supplies into the shopping bag she carelessly threw and stuffed in. Regardless of each item's unquestionable prices, he was pleasantly content to see her smiling and just being her overall self.

Consumed with his thoughts, he failed to take notice of his cousin wandering the other way, often mutterings of excuses and apologies whenever she bumped or came across one of the customers near her.

Ioder narrowed his eyes, seeking his cousin as he roamed around the large expanse of the store. Until finally, he found her standing in front of a crowd.

Relieved, he called out her name.

Silence.

Shaking his head, he simply made his way over to her. "Estellise—" He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as he took in the commotion. "What's up with them?" He wondered, just loud enough for the latter to hear.

Estelle then pointed her finger forward.

Ioder turned, following her direction. His eyes slightly widened.

Past the crowds of customers lurking through the shelves was a shrine depicting several actors which starred in previous Projects as well as with the recent installments.

Based on his knowledge, he recognizes one of them to be his cousin's favorite actor—Guy Cecil whom portrayed a character of her longtime crush from her favorite novel, the Jade Planet which was ultimately adapted into what became known as Abyss.

And of course, the new installments were up and judging from their popularity, it was no surprise. Situated next to the male Abyss members were of Vesperia—more specifically, Yuri, Flynn, and Raven.

"Would you look at that?" Ioder observed with his smile waning. "Nice to see that our Project is getting attention."

Estelle bobbed her head in agreement, seemingly concentrated and unusually quiet compared to how she acted about a few minutes ago.

"Should we start wrapping things up?" Ioder asked her, changing the topic of their conversation, "Or would you like to stay a little bit longer and shop?"

Shifting her attention at the bag that her cousin was currently holding, she looked up and smiled. "I'm finished." She said simply, her expression unreadable. "I think I got everything I needed." And reached out to grab hold of the bag.

Upon acquiring it, Ioder took notice of her stumbling figure. "Wait, Estellise," He cried, rushing to her side. "Let me help you!"

The pink-haired woman turned to glance at her male cousin and smiled in gratitude. Together, the two of them approached the counter and proceeded with their purchase. Shortly after, they each got a hold of a plastic bag filled with goods.

As Estelle took her first steps toward the exit, she was surprised to find that a certain individual wasn't walking next to her. "Ioder?" And turned around.

Sensing her worry, the blonde male gave her a smile. "Be there in a minute," He cried out, behind the counter, "I'll meet you outside the store."

Hearing this, Estelle nodded, muttering a soft, "…Okay," And ever so slowly, carried the bags as she walked out the door.

Ioder then shifted his focus on the cashier, stealthily extracting a small item from the inner pocket of his green jacket. In a matter of seconds, his expression changed from carefree to one of urgency, "How much is this?"

* * *

"Thank you so much for stopping by to visit me," Estelle expressed her gratitude, bowing her head in respect. "These past few days have been so wonderful."

Ioder shook his head. "It's no trouble at all," He assured her, patting the top of her head in a brotherly manner. "The commute here isn't expensive anyway." A smile graced his features. "And in a few more weeks, we'll be in the countryside."

"You're right," Collecting her hands together, she sighed. "Just a little more until winter wonderland!" She replied with a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Call it what you will," Ioder began, stuffing his hands inside the outer pockets of his jacket. "But just remember, the oldies will be there."

Estelle stifled a giggle. "Geez, Ioder!" Shaking her head in dismay, she then proceeded to lean in and peck him on the cheek to which the latter returned the same gesture.

"So long for now," She muttered softly.

Ioder grinned. "Ditto to you too," He walked away, though paused momentarily to turn and wave at her one last time.

Recognizing this, Estelle did the same.

A few minutes passed and once she spotted Ioder descending down the staircase, Estelle strolled back inside her apartment and closed the door behind her.

Here she was—alone. Again.

Inhaling a deep breath, Estelle forced a smile on her lips, letting her legs guide her to the living room.

Seating herself on a nearby couch, she motioned her head to glance at the shopping bags next to her. Rubbing her hands together, she began to fish out the different items she bought from the store. Similar to what she did before in regards to her luggage, she made sure to rearrange them.

Half an hour later and she was finally finished.

Leaning back, Estelle took a moment to survey through the materialistic goods she'd bought.

On her right were materialistic goods comprised of the items she'd gotten from Project Vesperia. Aside from some of the tiny keychains and accessories that she was planning to ship to her friends and as for the rest… were mostly Repede-themed with the mug, blanket, pillow being the ones she decided to keep for herself.

On the opposing left was a poster of the Abyss main cast and a definitive copy of her favorite novel, Jade Planet.

Satisfied, Estelle rose to her feet and made her way over to the dining room. Before she could do so, something caught her eye.

"What's this?" She wondered, slightly bending her knees and reaching out to take hold of the strange plastic bag sticking out from behind the coffee table. She then threw her hand in and extracted the item, revealing—

Her face completely flushed crimson red. Quickly, she grabbed hold of her phone on the edge of the couch and swiped her thumb across the screen.

Wasting no time, she pressed the phone icon. When the list of contacts appeared, she immediately pressed the first one.

Putting the screen of her electronic device against her right ear, Estelle paced back and forth. "Pick up, pick up, pick up…" She muttered to herself, silently counting the number of times the ringing from the other line persisted.

…

…

…

"Hello? Estellise?"

"IODER!" She exclaimed, sounding disconcerted. "Oh thank goodness, you've picked up!"

Processing her words, Ioder asked if she was okay.

"I'm doing well," She assured him, "I called because well…"

"Yes?"

"I believe you forgot something back in my place." Estelle began, tearing her eyes away from the object in her hands.

Her cousin laughed earnestly. "Oh, Estellise, that's not for me." He corrected her, "It's for you."

Estelle blinked once, then twice. "Pardon?"

"It's for you, dear cousin," Ioder repeated, his tone of voice tinged with a bit of light-hearted teasing. "Hope you like it."

Before she could retort back, the buzzing sound from the other line implied that he bailed out from their conversation.

Withdrawing her phone from her ear and staring at the screen, Estelle bit her lower lip as she slowly shifted her attention to the tiny doll, which bore a striking resemblance to a certain dark-haired man, resting comfortably on her left hand.

* * *

 **Hello, everyone! Kroissant here!**

 **Thank you so much for being patient with me but here it is! Now that with finals out of the way, finally got the opportunity to sit down and type the latest chapter! Here it is! Chapter 6!**

 **Here, we dive into Yuri and Estelle's respective lives, Lily (Yuri's mother), and a big cameo of Abyss and Tales of Shop (where the tales of merchandise can be found and purchased, though it's fictional as it's based off the real one located in Akihabara, Japan)**

 **And as promised, lots of REPEDE.**

 **(and if anyone is curious, I haven't actually named his pups as of yet—may Zephyr? Well, if you are interested, feel free to comment down below about any suggestions of their names and from there, I'll choose which one stands out from the rest!)**

 **I know it doesn't really mean much but it's wonderful to know that my fanfiction is recognized to the public and to have people simply reading it brings me joy. And for that, I'm very grateful and honored! Once again, thank you so much!**

 **I would like to point out that unlike checkmate, I'll be updating more chapters for SoSN than the usual. The reason?**

 **DEFINITIVE EDITION HYPE TRAIN! (and also, July 13th happening to be the same date as when the definitive edition was announced!)**

 **You see, I want to make sure that the timeline of this fanfiction aligns well with the timing of the release of the definitive edition (that's my plan, but if it doesn't happen, oh well)**

 **Once again, thank you so much for your overwhelming support!**

 **Comments are always welcome! (they give me strength!)**

 **UPDATES:**

 **Here are the schedules as follows (for now) —**

 **Checkmate ch5 – ALREADY OUT**

 **SoSN ch6 – ALREADY OUT**

 **SoSN ch7 - during the weekend (Dec. 22-23)**

 **SoSN ch8 – next week (before or after Christmas?)**

 **Checkmate ch6 – next week (after Christmas?)**

 **SoSN ch9 – following weekend (Dec.29-30)**

 **Aaaand that's all for now! (though the updates may vary)**

 **See you later!**

 **See you later!**

 **P.S. There is literally a doll of Yuri (google search), including one of Rita and Flynn! If you can, check them out!**

 **P.S.S. Norin and Finath Scifo are the canon names of Flynn's parents (derived from the light novel)**

 **Suggested songs—**

 **Who is She? – Patrick Doyle (Cinderella Live Action) – minutes: 1:20 through 3:20 for the specific scene of the video depicting Estelle**

 **Playtime – Vesperia OST (a scene where Estelle and Ioder visits Tales of Shop)**

 **May I by Trading Yesterday (entire chapter)**


	7. The Link

The end of the day came fast-approaching.

And before long, nightfall arrived.

While Yuri and Flynn continued to be engrossed in their tight schedules—which were filled with conferences and meetings to the brim—Lily spend her free time wandering around the vicinity with Repede, checking out the leftover props and costumes that were still around and greeting the passing staff members along the way. At the same time, she used the opportunity to scout for some information, an activity that only seemed to heighten her curiosity regarding a certain pink-haired woman.

Entering her son's bedroom which to her relief and surprise, remained unlocked, Lily sat herself down on the soft mattress. Sighing heavily, she lowered her gaze down at the notepad she held with both hands.

Based on what she heard from the other employees, including Flynn in one of his ten-minute breaks, this mysterious woman was named Estellise Sidos Heurassein—or, Estelle for short.

 **She is 20-years-old.**

 **Born in Austria, is half-German and half-French.**

 **Fluent in English and French with bits of German.**

 **Currently lives in South Bank, London.**

 **A rising actress who struck a breakout role starring as a Princess in Project Vesperia.**

…And that's about it.

She frowned deeply, feeling rather disappointed with the information she'd gathered. "There must be more…"

Slanting her head to the side, she snuck a peek at the canine who was settling himself down on the floor and placing his head atop her feet. Grinning toothily, she slightly leaned down to affectionately scratch the crown of his head to which she received a contented bark. "Repede, do you know anything about Estellise?"

Peering up, the canine emitted a snort. "Woof!" He barked animatedly. "Woof, woof!"

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Woof, woof!"

"…I see," She murmured, bobbing her head. "Interesting."

Suddenly, the door burst open.

Catching sight of the dark-haired man, Lily hastily rose from her seat and approached him with her notepad in tow. "How was the meeting?"

"Busy as usual…" Yuri yawned as he made his way over to his bed. Plopping himself down on the mattress, he sighed deeply as his aching body sank to the warm embrace of the mattress.

"Woof!"

Turning to the direction of the noise, Yuri mustered a forceful grin. Stretching his arm outward, he proceeded to take the canine by the paw, "Hey, Repede…" And began to shake it, initiating a handshake.

Repede barked, releasing his hold on his owner's hand and proceeding to climb onto the bed to lick him across the face.

"Hey!" Yuri exclaimed, laughing away, "Repede, come on!"

From afar, Lily smiled as she watched their interaction unfold before her. And at that moment, she was reminded of a teenage version of her son running around in their backyard and playing fetch with the four-month-old canine. Such a memory caused her to broaden her grin.

Taking note of her absence, Yuri called out to her.

Blinking, Lily focused her attention on her worried-looking son.

"Everything okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Lily quickly answered and strolled over to join them. As she settled down on the edge of the mattress, her ears picked up her son's voice once more.

"What's that you got there?"

Following the direction of where he was pointing at, she veered her eyes to her notepad "Oh, this? This is nothing!" She quickly cried, waving her hand in a frantic manner. "Nothing important!"

Yuri shot her a pointed look. "Mom…" And reached out his hand, quietly urging her to hand the pad of yellow ruled pages. "Give it to me, please."

No response.

"Mom…"

Finally, Lily sighed. "Here," And gave him the notepad, submitting to her defeat.

Yuri grinned, accepting it.

Once he got a hold of the item, he dipped his head downward, his eyebrows furrowing as he silently read the writing inscribed on the paper. "What's this?" He asked, confused.

Tucking her strand of long hair behind her ear, she forced a smile. "Well, you see…" She trailed off, looking elsewhere.

"You snooped through my phone, didn't you?" Yuri finished her sentence, sounding irritated. Setting the notepad on the bed, he groaned, "Mom, why the hell would you do that?"

"I was curious!" Lily cried in her defense, "And it was a harmless thing, really! I only looked through your photos and— "

Yuri's face instantly flushed crimson. "You WHAT?"

"I didn't see a lot of things," Lily rambled on, already feeling miserable the more she explained her side of the story. "I happened to find a group shot of you with Flynn and your other co-workers…" She paused midway as she tried to choose her words carefully. "And then, I swiped to the left and saw her."

Yuri stayed silent.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," Lily apologized, staring down at the floor. "But you know, it's not my fault that your password is too easy. I recommend changing it."

"I can't believe you…" Yuri sighed, raking his hair in frustration. "Looking through someone's phone without their permission? What's up with that?"

Lily sniffed. "I said I'm sorry." She mumbled, lowering her head in shame.

Sighing deeply, Yuri propped his head upwards to look at the ceiling above him. "Well, the secret's out…" He drawled on, "So, what do you think?"

Lily's eyes widened, her expression mixed with confusion and alarm. She turned her head to face her son who seemed to be avoiding eye contact with her. "…What?"

Yuri cleared his throat. "Well, you know…" He pressed on, ignoring the burning redness of his cheeks. "Of Estelle."

Lily blinked once, then twice. Catching on to what he meant, she slowly smiled. "She's lovely."

Yuri finally locked eyes with his mother. His lips curved upwards to form a lop-sided grin, "You think so?"

Lily bobbed her head in confirmation. "But I have a question—why her?" She asked, tipping her head to the side.

Hearing this, Yuri unconsciously smiled. "She's amazing, you know." He began, feeling the tension in his shoulders loosen a bit. "Very lively, honest, and down-to-earth. Every time I'm around her, I feel really comfortable."

"Much better compared to the others you've dated beforehand?" Lily pressed on.

The dark-haired man frowned. "Mom…" He began, "You make it sound as if I'm a womanizer."

"Which you're not, I know," Lily reaffirmed. "But I just wanna make sure that this one—err, this Estellise person, is the right one for you." She scooted a bit closer to him, her ebony eyes twinkling with interest. "So tell me, how'd the two of you met? Spill the details!"

Yuri chuckled at her sudden surge of enthusiasm. "It's…a long story," He expressed, shooting her a knowing look.

Shifting her eyes from the clock and then back to her son, she shrugged. "I have time," Lily replied, smiling sweetly.

And those three words were all it took for him to spill everything—starting from the beginning.

How their first meeting was one of those comedic ones and how she nailed the audition in one take. He went on to describe how he came into terms with his feelings, though at the time, he felt rather conflicted if it was romantic or lust.

"It wasn't until we did a scene that finally sealed the deal for me."

Curious to know more, Lily asked him, "Which one was it?'

Becoming reminded with the certain memory, Yuri blushed.

"Come on now, you can tell me~" Lily teased him, poking him on the nose.

Thinking it over, he nodded. "Well, let's see if I could find the picture…" He mumbled to himself, taking out his phone from his pocket and tapping the main screen a few times. Once the screen was filled with an arrangement of photos, he used his thumb to swipe upwards. His ebony eyes narrowed in concentration as he tried to pick out the photo he had in mind. Eventually, he found it and clicked on it.

Smiling in triumph, he handed his phone over to his mother. "What do you think?"

Lily leaned a bit closer to inspect the picture. Her mouth partly opened. "Oh, wow!"

The picture he showed her—was of him dressed in a black tunic catching Estelle, who wore her white princess gown accentuated with gold and pink hues. Behind them were their co-workers, standing and smiling in relief as they witnessed a tender moment shared between the pair.

"This scene was a pivotal part in the Project," Yuri expressed, keeping his eyes on the picture, "and the characters we played were supposed to be fighting against one another."

Lily nodded, listening intently.

"Once we were finished shooting the fighting sequence, the next part was a bit difficult to approach. According to the original script, I was supposed to take the sword and slash the bubble that held Estelle inside. From there, she would collapse into the ground and the main cast and I were to run over to see if she was okay." A pause. "And as you can see, the idea was officially scrapped."

"Why did it changed then?"

Smiling, Yuri began with, "…I managed to convince the Director to revise the whole scene." He gestured his chin toward the scene of his electronic device. "And as you can see, it worked out pretty well." A light chuckle escaped from his throat. "Though it took multiple takes to get it right, especially since the staff was taking photos of us at every angle, it was worth it in the end."

"Because you finally got to hug her?" Lily added in with a teasing grin.

Yuri cleared his throat, trying to keep his calm composure. "You could say that…" He mumbled, once again looking elsewhere.

Chuckling, Lily averted her fixation on the picture. "My, you look so relaxed," She commented, "I wonder what you were thinking?"

Sneaking a glance to look at the picture, Yuri started with, "…The whole time we were performing that scene, I couldn't think straight. I'm not too sure if she noticed but…every time we practiced the scene where she jumps off the platform and into my arms, my legs would always give in and we would fall down on the ground together."

As he said those words, he lowered his gaze at his open hands, then at the metallic Bodhi bracelet on his wrist. "She felt so light, I was worried that she was gonna disappear. So, I would keep hanging on to her and…" A pause. "That's when I realized…that all I wanted to do was hold her and keep her safe."

Her eyes widened. "So, she's THAT different?"

Yuri turned to look at his mother, his expression almost unreadable to decipher.

"Then tell me," Lily continued, "Can you see a future with her?"

Yuri opened his mouth, only to realize that he didn't have an answer to provide her. "I think it's a bit too early to speculate…" He trailed off.

Taking this into account, Lily threw him a piece of advice, "If you're serious about her, you should tell her how you feel."

"I did, actually," He replied, crossing his arms. "But…"

"Hmm?"

Bringing his hand to his aching temple, Yuri sighed, "All I can say is…we're still in the beginning phase of our relationship," He admitted, "After our first kiss, nothing's changed."

"Is she still here in the vicinity?"

Yuri shook his head. "Estelle left with the others a few days ago," He pointed out, "I called her earlier this afternoon and she confirmed that she's back home."

Lily nodded in response.

"I hope it works out between the two of you," She started, earning his attention. "But keep in mind to be wary. You'll never know…she might take advantage of your wealth and status as the others—"

Rolling his eyes, Yuri sighed.

"Don't compare Estelle with anyone, especially with them," He cut her off, emphasizing word after word. "I'm telling you—Estelle's the last person to do any of that bullshit."

"Yes, but hear me out," Lily pointed out matter-of-factly, her voice gentle but stern. "What happens if she does, hmm? What would you do then?"

Silence filled the room.

"I know how much this woman means a lot to you but you must be careful," Lily lectured him, placing her hand over his before squeezing it.

With her other hand, she gently placed it over the crook of his chin and motioned him to look at her in the eye. Her eyes brimmed close to tears. "I refuse to see you go through another heartbreak."

Quickly, Yuri wrapped his arms around his mother. "I won't let it happen again," He swore to her, "I promise you."

Registering his words, all Lily could do was smile and lean closer to feel the familiar warmth of her son—and slowly but surely, the sinking feeling she felt in the bottom of her stomach dissipated. A few minutes passed and it was time to tear away with Yuri being the first one to get out of the embrace.

Looking at his phone, Yuri pressed the middle button to reveal the time—it was 11:15 pm.

"What time did you say you were gonna go back to your hotel?" He spoke up, breaking the silence.

"Actually…" Lily replied with a sheepish grin, "After I'm done visiting you and Flynn, I'll have to catch my flight with Repede."

Yuri raised an eyebrow. "When is that?"

Lily pursed her lips, mulling the thought over. "I believe…4am?"

Groaning, Yuri stood up from his bed. Resting his hand on his hip, he twisted his heel to stare back at her. "Yeah, you should get going."

"I know," Lily replied, "But first…"

Yuri furrowed his eyebrows. "What's up?"

"Before I leave," She began, "Would it be alright if you could grant my wish?"

"Anything for you, Mom," He answered without hesitation. "What is it?"

"Can you sing for me?" She asked rather innocently, "It would mean a lot to me."

Yuri smiled. "All right then," Turning around, the dark-haired man made his way over to his closet. He then crouched down to retrieve the guitar case lying next to his bulky luggage. "One song coming right up," As he approached his bed, he noticed Repede climbing up and situating himself on the space between him and his mother. From the looks of it, it seemed like he too was excited to hear his owner singing as well.

Yuri whistled. "You too, Repede?"

"Woof!" The canine barked, wagging his tail energetically. "Woof!"

"It's been too long since I've played…" He confessed, unzipping the guitar case to unveil his beloved acoustic guitar—a dear old friend from his past. As he started to adjust one of the tune heads on the wooden headstock, he added in, "I might be a bit rusty."

"Oh, come now! Don't be like that!" Lily encouraged him, "I'm sure you're gonna do fine."

"Woof!"

"See?" She cried, gesturing to the canine next to her. "Even Repede agrees with me!"

Yuri smiled. "Okay, okay…" He drawled on, reaching out to seize the harmonica on the side of the guitar case. "Let's start with this…"

Blowing his mouth through the holes of the small, rectangular harmonica a few times, he stopped for a moment to take out a white handkerchief and cleaned through the slots. Afterward, he blew through the holes again.

Satisfied, he looked at his mother and Repede one last time.

Inhaling a deep breath, he said, "This is for you, Mom," And pressed the harmonica close to his lips, releasing a high-pitched noise which reverberated throughout the room.

Lily closed her eyes, humming softly to the wistful melody.

A few seconds passed and Yuri removed the harmonica from his mouth, setting it down. He then focused his concentration on his acoustic guitar.

Without warning, he began tinkering with the strings.

"I saw a bad moon rising, we fell asleep for days," Yuri sang aloud, his sultry, baritone voice aligning perfectly with the beat of the guitar notes. "Until the new sun rises, we kept driving for days…"

* * *

An hour passed and it was time for Yuri and his mother, Lily, to part ways.

Together, along with Repede and Flynn trailing after them, the pair descended down the staircase, all the while chatting up a storm and keeping each other at close proximity.

Upon reaching the exit of the vicinity, they found a yellow taxi cab parked nearby.

"That's me," Lily spoke up, gesturing over to the vehicle. Releasing her vine-like grip around her son's right arm, she took a few steps forward before twirling around to face the two men once more. "Thank you for making my visit memorable." She expressed her gratitude, "I enjoyed every second of it!"

"Not a problem, Auntie," Flynn replied with a light-hearted grin. "It was great to see you again. And if you can, give a holler to my parents and Patty."

Lily chuckled. "I'll be sure to let them know when I see them," She told him with a cheeky grin. She then turned her sights to her son who wore a serious look on his face.

"You sure you don't need an escort?" He asked, concerned.

"Yuri Lowell!" Lily exclaimed, followed by the roll of her eyes. "Do you really think I'm not capable of going home by myself?"

The dark-haired man groaned. "Mom, you're misunderstanding my words," He stressed, waving his hand flippantly. "I just want to make sure that you make it back home safe and sound."

Lily frowned deeply, still unconvinced.

She glanced over to the canine who approached her on his hind legs and sat close to her.

"At least Repede would be there if you need him," Yuri added in, catching her attention.

Looking back at her son, Lily smiled. "That's true," All of a sudden, she threw herself at him with her arms enveloping his tall, lean figure.

"Woah!" Yuri suddenly cried, struggling to regain his balance. Lowering his chin downwards, he frowned at his mother. "What are you— "

"I'm going to miss you so much, dear," Lily whispered, burying her face against his chest.

Hearing this, Yuri closed his mouth and sighed deeply.

Resting his chin on top of her head, he proceeded to spread his arms around her small frame and held her close. "I'll miss you too," He whispered softly, just loud enough for her to hear.

A moment later, they let go of each other.

"Don't cause trouble, you hear?" Lily warned her son, giving him a pointed look. She then turned to face the blonde man and added in, "Same for you, Flynn,"

Flynn nodded firmly. "Yes, ma'am,"

Reverting her focus back to her son, the middle-aged woman's wrinkly features hardened for a second before transitioning back to its jovial visage. "If you ever need anything, I'm only one call away."

"I know," Yuri replied back. "And be sure to call me once you get home," He then turned his sights on the dog. Bending his knees, he reached out to stroke his crown. "Repede, take good care of my mom for me."

"Woof!" Repede barked, wagging his tail.

Yuri smiled. "I'll see you soon, bud,"

Once Repede exchanged farewells with the blonde man, Lily took this opportunity to gesture the canine over to which he happily abide.

Yuri and Flynn watched as the middle-aged woman and the canine strode off and, with the help of the taxi driver, entered the vehicle with little to no trouble. They stood there, their eyes on the taxi as it drove its way down the slope and disappeared into the night.

"We should hit the hay," Flynn insisted his best friend, "Tomorrow's gonna be another busy day."

When the dark-haired man didn't budge, he sighed.

"Goodnight, Yuri," And headed back inside the building.

Meanwhile, Yuri stood alone in the cold, chilly night, his eyes sorrowfully lingering at the space that was once preoccupied with his mother and his loyal canine companion, Repede, minutes before they left him.

His hand unconsciously slipped to touch the crook of his dominant wrist, his fingers lightly brushing over the metallic surface of the Bodhi bracelet. Propping his head up, he was met with a vast collection of stars and the moon.

A cold, chilly wind blew past him, causing his long dark mane to sway gently back and forth.

At this, his lips curved to form a bittersweet smile.

"Back to work, I suppose," Yuri murmured to no one.

Putting his arms behind his head, he angled his body the other way and advanced forward.

* * *

"Mhm…"

Estelle knitted her eyebrows together as she proceeded to roll to her side one more time on the bed. Growing restless, she threw her comforter against the wall and sat upright. Dragging her forehead over the headboard, she let out a groan.

No matter how hard she tried to fall asleep, she couldn't seem to get herself relaxed.

In an effort to calm her nerves, she turned to the framed picture on her bedside table. She bit her lower lip, peering longingly on the group photo of nine individuals.

It's barely a week since she left the vicinity and her family of friends and yet…it seemed to her, that little by little, her overall experience of Project Vesperia was beginning to feel like nothing more than a dream.

Realizing this, she immediately shook her head.

"You're overthinking again…" She scolded herself. Inhaling a deep breath, the pink-haired woman rose from her bed and descended the staircase.

Upon reaching the living room, she leisurely made her way to the kitchen. Switching the light on, she opened one of the wooden cabinets and threw her hand inside, unveiling a box of lemon tea. Taking out a small brown sack, she hastily put the tea box inside the cabinet before closing it shut.

Afterward, she took a kettle from the oven, filled it with water and placed it back on one of the burner bowls. Twisting the first circular knob slightly toward the right, she then took the Repede-themed mug from one of the shelves and seated herself down on a nearby chair. While waiting for the water to be heated, Estelle took the time to contemplate about her current situation.

"I wonder what the others are doing…" She mumbled lowly under her breath.

Closing her eyes, her mind wandered to them…

* * *

I _t was one of those days when the main cast of Vesperia, including the supports and background, the Director, Producer and other staff employees took the time off to relax and enjoy the leisure afternoon._

 _Karol's cries of triumph as he managed to deliver his dialogue assigned on that day, followed by Rita and Nan judging him and instructing him to do it all over again because to them, it wasn't good enough._

 _Judith practicing one of her aerial move sets and beautifully perfecting it, earning some praises and cheers from Raven, Yeager, Kaufman, and Patty who served as her audience._

 _Flynn and Zagi sparring against Gauche and Droite, teaming up in order to best the other pair in combat._

 _Repede being pampered by Clint and Tison._

 _Ioder negotiating with the Don for a possible arm-wrestling match._

 _And before she knew it, she found herself immersed inside of her dream as she sat there on the steps of the stairs, admiring her friends from a distance while possessing the lengthy script with both hands._

 _"Whatcha got there, Estelle?"_

 _"Ah!" She squeaked, flinching slightly in her spot when she heard her name being called from behind. Peering over her shoulder, she sighed in relief upon realizing that it was—_

 _"Yuri!" She pouted, leering at him. "Stop it! It's not funny!"_

 _The dark-haired man simply laughed. "No can do," He teased, settling himself down next to her. "You seem quiet. Everything okay?"_

 _Hearing this, Estelle blushed. "Oh, it's nothing," She mumbled, brushing a hair strand away. She then turned her focus at her surroundings and smiled. "Just admiring the view— "_

 _Before she could finish her words, a pair of arms encircled around her waist, causing her to drop the document on her lap._

 _"Admiring the view, huh?" Yuri spoke up, chuckling lightly. "I like the sound of that."_

 _Frozen in her spot, Estelle swallowed the lump in her throat before nodding along._

 _Inhaling his natural scent, she sighed, her mind and body at peace. "Hey, Yuri?"_

 _"Yeah?"_

 _"I think…" She slurred, getting drowsy. "I like this…"_

 _Though she couldn't see his face, she could tell from how steady his breathing was and how slightly rapid his heartbeat was thumping against his chest, that he was enjoying this._

 _"I wish…we could stay like this forever…" She mumbled softly, daring not to close her eyes right then and there. "And ever…"_

 _And for a moment, all was well until—_

 _"But it can't."_

 _Estelle blinked as his words struck her to the core. Furrowing her eyebrows, she frowned. "What…do you mean, Yu— "_

 _All of a sudden, the warmth and arms encircling her disappeared._

 _Slowly, Estelle turned around._

 _Her eyes slightly widened._

 _Yuri was gone, disappearing without a trace. Panicking, she turned back to face her friends, only to find out that they were no longer there._

 _Horrified, Estelle collected her hands together and pressed them against her temple, hoping and praying that they—her beloved friends, her family—would come back to her. "Deep breaths…" She murmured to herself, "Deep breaths…"_

 _Inhale, exhale._

 _Inhale, exhale—_

 _Finally, she fluttered her eyes wide open._

 _Karol, Rita, Judith, Raven, Patty, Repede, Ioder, Flynn, Yuri—none of them showed up again._

 _And then realization hit her—she was alone._

* * *

"No!" Estelle suddenly cried, her hand reaching outward and her expression contorted with fear.

Blinking, she looked around.

She was back at her place, in her dining room, where she should be. Nursing her sweaty forehead, she sighed.

Thank goodness, it was just a dream…

The whistling tune from the kettle broke out, reverting her back to reality.

Quickly, Estelle rose from her chair and staggered her way to the stove.

Seizing the blue cloth from the handle of the stove, she carefully took the handle, raised the kettle and poured the heated water into the content of the mug.

Placing the kettle back on the stove, Estelle dropped the sack of tea into the mug before carefully seizing it.

Blowing the beverage a few times, she brought the mug close to her lips and took a few sips.

She sighed heavily, smiling as the warmness of the tea spread throughout her body.

Turning the lights off in the kitchen, she leisurely walked back up the staircase, at the same time, making sure not to spill the tea along the way.

Once she took a seat on her bed, she placed the mug on her bedside table next to the framed picture.

From the corner of her eye, she saw it—the doll of a certain dark-haired man nestled between the tiny containers on her desk. Focusing her attention on the doll, Estelle bit her lower lip. Should she…?

Smiling lazily, she stood up and strolled over to her desk to seize the Yuri-themed doll. Once it was in her possession, she retreated back to the comforts of her bed.

"Guess you're stuck with me…" Estelle trailed off, bringing the doll close to her. "You don't mind, do you?"

As expected, there was no response.

"It's alright, I'm used to the quiet anyway," She continued, her voice somewhat cracking.

Leaning her forehead against the doll's soft head, she fixated her attention to the shiny Bodhi Blastia on her wrist.

"If it's not too much to ask," She whispered softly, her eyes never leaving the bracelet. "Would it be alright if I stay by your side? I promise not to be a bother…"

Inhaling deeply, Estelle closed her eyes. "So, please…don't leave me."

As she delivered those words, she felt one tear rolling freely down from the corner of her left eye. "…Okay?"

* * *

 **OH, GOD—WHAT HAVE I DONE TO POOR ESTELLE?**

 **Welcome, welcome, one and all! This is Kroissant!**

 **Presenting you with chapter 7 of Start of Something New!**

 **Honestly, all I can say that this chapter was difficult for me to write—so many foreshadowing is in this chapter, especially with Yuri's love life, Lily's warning, and Estelle's desire to be with her friends again. My main focus for this chapter was realism—from here on out, I'm going to do what I can to pour a lot!**

 **I'm proud to even admit that I shed a few tears while writing Estelle's snippet in the chapter—that feeling of being lonely is indeed unbearable. But of course, all of this, especially with Estelle's case is going to be explained later in future chapters.**

 **Also, the song that Yuri sang in the first scene is REAL—check it out! Troy Baker: Sad Song!**

 **Next chapter would begin to start paving a way for a certain couple to be together again (even I feel crushed for not having them together). Trust me on this, you'll see~**

 **Anyway, thank you so much for the tremendous support! (and for Maggie, MaggsChuu, especially with her very long comment post!) Thank you so much for that!**

 **Unfortunately, I will be updating SoSN after Christmas and would be the first one to be updated (checkmate will have to wait until the first week of January) as like I said before, I need to make sure that this fanfiction aligns perfectly with the announcement/release of Vesperia: Definitive Edition.**

 **And if you think this ending is depressing, wait till you read what I have in store for all of you! This is really just the tip of the iceberg!**

 **As I said, next update would be after Christmas (SoSN chapter 8)!**

 **For now, I wish you all happy holidays and a merry Christmas!**

 **Stay safe everyone!**

 **See you later!**

 **P.S. The picture Yuri is referring to is an official photo-it's one of the two pictures posted on Tales of Magazine-look it up if you can!**

 **Suggested songs-**

 **Troy Baker – Sad Song (first scene and what Yuri was singing to his mom)**

 **Photograph – entire chapter (and the message of this chapter is highlighted)**


	8. Homecoming

Since Lily and Repede's departure, not much has changed.

As always, Yuri and Flynn busied themselves attending meetings and conferences, becoming involved with the negotiation of the advertising and marketing in regards to the Project.

One meeting led to another, and then another, and so forth. And before anyone realized it, the days turned into a full long week.

Thankfully, the team—comprised of the Director, Producer, the two A-list actors, and other staff members who chose to stay behind—and their efforts to push for a mutual compromise with their sponsors eventually paid off.

It was official—in a couple of days, Project Vesperia—now entitled Tales of Vesperia, would be released to the general public.

Following this announcement came the long-awaited retreat to go home.

The word had spread far and wide, causing every single individual in the vicinity to spring into action, pack up their belongings and board the big buses that would take them to the international airport.

Leaning his head to the side, Yuri turned to face the frost-tinted window. "So, what are your plans from here on out?" He spoke up, nudging his childhood friend sitting next to him.

Flynn blinked, surprised by his words. Pushing his red glasses to the bridge of his nose, he pursed his lips.

"I gotta head to Quebec and meet up with the family." A light chuckle escaped his lips. "You know, ever since the others left, Patty's been bombarding me with so many messages. Something about a party in commemoration of the Project's release."

"She must be referring to the party that the company does every year…" Yuri grumbled, crossing his arms. "Knowing the Director, he'll probably want us to attend."

Flynn nodded in response. "And what about you?"

Yuri cast a curious look at the blonde male. "What about me?"

Flynn released an exasperated sigh. "Are you going back to Aunt Lily's place?"

In response, Yuri lowered his chin. "…Don't know," And turned his head back to face the window once more.

Flynn waited a little longer, hoping to gain some sort of explanation behind the latter's vague answer. When the silence became unbearable for him, he shot a glare. "What do you mean you don't know? Don't you want to go home?"

Suddenly, the bus ceased to a stop.

Yuri produced a smirk.

"We're here," He replied, gesturing his chin to the colossal dome overhead.

Flynn closed his mouth from speaking any further. Propping his head upwards, he took notice of the other employees inside the vehicle standing up and gathering their luggage.

"We better get a move on," Yuri insisted, rising from his seat.

Catching on to what he meant, Flynn nodded and followed his example. He then stepped to the side, allowing for the dark-haired man to squeeze through the narrow space and lift his arms high to unlock the storage compartment above them.

After acquiring their belongings, the duo and the rest of the employees embarked to the airport. Upon entering the entrance, they were greeted with multiple flashes of lights and roaring cheers in all directions.

Shouts of "IT'S YURI LOWELL AND FLYNN SCIFO!" and "IT'S THEM! OH, GOD!" pierced their ringing ears, causing them to cringe in their spots.

Right away, the bodyguards standing idly next to them strode forward.

"Make way! Make way!" They cried, raising their arms while keeping close to the two celebrities as they marched through the sea of adoring fans and paparazzi.

"LOOK AT ME!" One exclaimed at the top of their lungs. "OVER HERE! LOOK!"

"NO, NO! LOOK AT ME!" Another yelled from behind. "I'M HERE!"

"AUTOGRAPH! PLEASE!" The third one cried out in hysteria. "I'M BEGGING YOU!"

Despite the pleads and frantic atmosphere surrounding them, Yuri and Flynn maintained their calm composure, forcing smiles on their faces and at times, wave to their fans—male and female alike. Such a trivial gesture triggered the crowd to amplify their shrieks, becoming overwhelmed with excitement from being recognized by them.

"What a life we live in, huh?" Yuri joked, laughing away.

All Flynn could do was roll his eyes. "You could say that again…"

Luckily, with the aid of their bodyguards and the team, the pair of childhood friends managed to flee to a safe and secluded area. Once the coast was clear, the Director stepped forth, proclaiming that this was where they'll be parting ways.

"It was a pleasure working with you both," The Director began, stretching his hand outward to the pair. "Take a week off and we'll get back to business, yeah?"

Hearing this, Yuri smirked. "Couldn't have said it better myself, old man," He replied, accepting his hand.

Shortly after, Flynn did the same.

"Take care, Director," He added in, bowing his head respectfully. "And happy holidays."

After a brief exchange of farewells with the team and dismissing the bodyguards, they parted ways, leaving Yuri and Flynn on their own.

"I'm heading straight," Flynn spoke up after much silence. He cast a look over to the dark-haired man and asked, "Are you coming?"

Silence ensued.

"Yuri?"

"Actually…" Yuri began, bringing his hand to rake his long mane. "I'm gonna stay here for a while. My plans are still up in the air."

Flynn raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

Yuri nodded, confirming his suspicions. "You should get going," He insisted, glancing over to the big bulletin board which enlisted most of the flights were displayed. "The flight to Toronto is about to leave in an hour."

Flynn opened his mouth to protest, only to stop himself. Instead, he resorted to shooting a pointed look at his childhood friend.

In return, Yuri flashed a smirk.

Such a sight caused Flynn to groan.

"I hope you know what you're doing," He murmured, seizing his blue luggage nearby. Shaping his right hand into a fist, he directed his arm to the dark-haired man. "Best of luck, Yuri."

Yuri nodded, accepting the gesture with the use of his dominant left. "You too, Flynn," He replied with a grin. "And send my regards to the folks in the mainland."

Flynn smiled. "You got it," After bumping fists, the pair separated.

Once more, Yuri surveyed his surroundings. At the same time, he dragged his hand behind him to seize his hoodie, pulling it downwards and successfully masking the front section of his facial features.

For good measure, he made sure to adjust the frames of his sunglasses.

With that settled, Yuri tightened the grip of his large duffel bag and strode forward. A couple of steps later and he paused midway in his tracks. Peering up, his eyes wandered over to the large monitor screen filled with a listing of available airplanes in tow. He shifted his attention to the right titled—BOARDING.

Sighing, he searched through the index of city names.

California, United States

New York, United States

Sydney, Australia

Paris, France

The list went on and on until he found it— the answer to his dilemma.

"Bingo," Yuri uttered lowly, the corners of his lips quirking up.

Wasting no time, he twisted his heel and made his way to a nearby ticket booth.

* * *

"I'm telling you! It isn't normal!"

Taking a step back from the marble counter, the pink-haired woman motioned her head over to the electronic device which displayed a fuming brunette on the main screen. She lowered her grip on the silver kitchen knife, setting it down on the cutting board. A yellow apron covered the front of her body while her short pink hair was kept in a loose ponytail.

"Rita," She began, addressing her best friend in a gentle manner, "If you're so concerned about it, why don't you tell your parents? I'm sure they'll understand."

"Like hell, they will!" The brunette suddenly cried, waving her arms frantically. "Knowing them, they wouldn't do a thing!"

Slanting her head, Estelle pressed her hand on the side of her elbow. "Then, what about the other two? Are they doing well?"

Rita snorted. "Raymond and Randy are doing fine…" She mumbled, clicking her tongue. "It's just Ryan."

Estelle's eyes softened. "…I see," She replied, "I hope he feels better."

"Oh, he definitely will," Rita quickly answered as she turned her head away to stare at something beyond the background. She let out a tired sigh. "Seriously, what's up with him? Being all whiny and stubborn over medicine?"

All Estelle could do was produce a lovely smile. "You know, Ryan's quite fortunate to have you as his sister."

The brunette frowned deeply. "Damn right, he should be!" She agreed, all the while ignoring the burning crimson color gracing her cheeks. "Anyway, what about you? How've you been holding up?"

Estelle blinked, a bit perplexed to find herself in the center of attention.

"Oh, uh…" She trailed off, furrowing her eyebrows as she chose her words carefully. "Everything's…been good."

Rita quirked an eyebrow. "Define 'good'."

"Well, for starters…" Estelle began, feeling giddy, "The other day, Ioder brought me to this store! It had a bunch of merchandise already lined up with Project Vesperia! I found a pillow that looked just like me!" Beaming, she delivered her next set of words with excitement. "There was even one of you and Judith, Karol, Raven…basically everyone!"

"Are you serious?"

Estelle nodded her head in enthusiasm. "Isn't that wonderful?"

Rita shrugged her shoulders. "Isn't that the point of advertising?" She reasoned, "I mean, if you think about it, that's a pretty smart move that the company is doing."

Estelle smiled. "Oh, yeah…you're right." A pause. "By the way, is Karol with you?"

"Not anymore," Rita answered, crinkling her nose. "His parents picked him up at our place about two days ago."

"That's good to hear," Estelle replied, smiling weakly. "And have you made contact with Judith and Raven?"

"I don't really associate myself with that old geezer," Rita drawled, waving her arm carelessly from side to side. "Though I've heard from Karol that he's been working on something behind-the-scenes." Rolling her eyes, she released a tired sigh. "Judith, I'm not sure…"

"Actually," Estelle started, gaining her best friend's attention. "I spoke with her earlier and she says that she's doing well. Right now, she's taking a short break from work and spending the holidays with her father in Hokkaido."

Rita straightened up from her seat, bringing her hands on the back of her head. "Good for her," She commented. "What about Yuri and Flynn?"

Estelle lowered her gaze to look at her hands.

"…I'm not sure," She confessed, lifting her hands and placing them close to her chest. "I mean, Yuri and I would often talk to each other on the phone but he hasn't responded to my calls lately." A pause. "I hope he's alright."

Rita sensed the pink-haired woman's distress and pressed her lips together. Her usual nonchalant expression was changed to that of frustration. Lowering her arms from her head, she set them on top of her lap, tightening her grip.

"That idiot…" She grumbled, followed by a low curse under her breath. "Who does he think he is?"

"I'm sure he has a good reason, Rita," Estelle assured her, softening the tone of her voice. "Same goes for Flynn."

Registering her words, Rita drew in a sharp breath and nodded along. "Hope you're right."

Estelle smiled. Before she could open her mouth to say something, the phone screen flickered, alarming her.

"Rita? Hello?" She raised her voice in concern. "Are you still there?"

When she didn't receive a response from the brunette, her eyes widened. "Hello, Rita?" She called out again, leaning closer to the phone to inspect the problem. "Can you hear me?"

"Agh! What the hell?"

Estelle blinked as her ears picked up the sound of a familiar feminine voice. Much to her relief, the image of her best friend on her phone screen manifested, only this time she wasn't alone.

"Rita, Rita! Who's she?"

"Rita, stop talking on the phone and play~"

The appearance of two young toddlers, no older than eight-years-old came into view.

Upon closer inspection, there was no doubt that these two were related with the short brunette by blood—same shade of brown, same color of eyes and so forth. Sitting on the center of the video was Rita, who struggled to maintain her sitting position on her mattress as she tried to balance her brothers who continuously attempted to climb on her back and her chest.

"I said get off!" Rita's sheer screams reverberated, triggering the phone to slightly vibrate.

No matter how much she screamed at the top of her lungs, in the end, the toddlers simply laughed and played along, paying no heed to their female spectator on the other line.

Estelle giggled, adoring the lively siblings on-screen.

"Maybe I should call back?" She suggested kindly. "It seems you've already got your hands full."

Rita lifted her chin, locking eyes with her best friend.

Thinking it over, she eventually agreed with a firm nod. "I'll call you back if I can," She insisted through clenched teeth.

"Oh no, take your time!" Estelle reassured her best friend, "See you next time, alright?"

After bidding a quick goodbye, she hastily pressed the red button, bringing their half an hour-long video chat to a close. Now that she was alone, Estelle inhaled a deep breath. She glanced back at the blank surface of her phone. A smile unconsciously appeared on her lips. Though a week had passed since, it was lovely to hear Rita, along with the others again and knowing that they were safe and well warmed her heart.

As she thought of her friends, a certain man resurfaced as well.

Reverting back to her phone resting on the counter, she pressed the middle button again and with the use of her thumb, tapped a few times to unlock the security code. Her thumb hovered over to the green phone app before pressing it once more. She smiled as she was greeted with a long list of calls which she'd made over the past few days.

Besides the occasional names like Ioder, Rita, and Judith, the one which stood out the most was—

Her eyes softened at the name displayed in front of her, a name that brought so much joy and inspiration to her.

It wasn't so long ago that they forged a promise to keep in touch and in contact with one another. For most days, it was Yuri who would initiate the call. In regards to their discussions, the topic of focus would be purely random, ranging from what time of day it was to the kind of activities they've done depending on the particular day. Such conversations were minimal and straight to the point, often accompanied by a few jokes and laughter from both ends.

And despite how fleeting their time was, for Estelle, it was more than enough.

Just being able to hear his voice and imagining the look on his face every time he speaks…

Sadness clouded her features as she was reminded of the words she'd said to Rita.

It was true that Yuri hadn't been contacting her as of yet.

Then again, if she were to judge him for his poor timing…

Estelle shook her head. No, that wouldn't be fair.

Again, she refocused her gaze on the phone screen.

Holding it tightly, Estelle closed her eyes, secretly hoping and waiting to receive his call. Any minute now, her phone would ring and his name would be on display and she'll answer. And in those few minutes, they have together on the phone would be nothing but pure bliss. Well, for her anyway.

Peering over her shoulder, Estelle directed her eyes over to the open balcony on her right. From where she stood, she could make out the clear, afternoon sky and the large buildings towering from a great distance. The London Eye and the London Bridge, two prominent landmarks located around the area, could also be visibly seen. She then looked back to check on her phone. Tapping the middle button again, she stared at the ticking time displayed on the screen.

"3:15 pm…" She read aloud. "He must be attending an important meeting." She had to remind herself. "It would be rude to disturb him."

Placing her phone back on the counter, Estelle fixated her focus on her task at hand. Rolling up her sleeves, she reclaimed the kitchen knife and began mincing the green vegetables into tiny pieces.

For now, all she can do is hope for the best and that he's okay.

Forcing a smile, she whispered, "If Yuri can put up with it, then so can I."

* * *

The afternoon faded into dust and what remained left in the skies was the array of twinkling lights and the clear signs of air pollution. The moon, on the other hand, was concealed behind the roaming grey clouds.

Bringing her legs closer to her chest, Estelle leaned her back on her couch, dressed in her yellow nightgown and drinking in the words of the paragraph she was currently indulging herself with. Here she was—nestled in the heaps of pillows and blankets she'd made a fortress out of and reading her own copy of the Jade Planet.

Just a few more pages and she would enter the scene where the main character realized that he was actually an imitation of—

 _RING!_

 _RING!_

 _RING!_

Estelle squeaked, jolting upright from the abrupt sound of the strange buzzing noise.

Blinking her eyes and rubbing them a few times, she frantically scanned the entire space of the living room. Following the direction of the sound, she was surprised to discover that it was her phone and from the looks of it, seems to be vibrating constantly across the coffee table.

Surprised by this, Estelle dropped her raised arms to the side, along with her book on the couch before snatching the electronic device.

A surge of excitement washed over her.

"Okay, okay, calm down…" She assured herself, taking a deep breath in. "You can do this…"

Once she managed to ease her anxiety, she resorted to quickly press the middle button and bring the phone close to the shell of her ear.

Clearing her throat, she began with, "…Hello?"

" **Estellise?"**

Hearing this, she froze.

"Estellise? Are you there?"

"Y-yes, I'm here…" She answered, followed shortly by a nervous laugh. "It's nice to hear from you again, Flynn. How are you faring?"

The male blonde responded back, "I've been doing well. What about you?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Estelle answered, smiling sweetly. "How are the conferences? I hope they're not taking too much time off your hands."

"Actually…" Flynn trailed off, the tone of his voice brimming with energy. "We just finished the last batch. With the Project's successful partnership with our sponsors, we could finally go home." He let out a muffled chuckle on the other line. "I'm here at Toronto airport. In a few short minutes, Patty and our parents would be picking me up."

Estelle's eyes widened. "Wait, really?" She cried, her face lit up with glee. "That's wonderful news! And I'm so glad that you've made it home safe and sound."

Flynn's lips split to a produce a grin. "Thanks," He expressed to her.

"Say, Flynn?"

"Yes?"

"You mentioned that everyone went home…" She started, feeling a bit restless and eager at once. "Do you…know if," She paused briefly to close her eyes, getting embarrassed as she found herself stumbling over her words. "I mean, that is…."

"You wanna know if Yuri's with me?" Flynn caught on, finishing the rest of her sentence. When he received a soft 'yes' from the latter, he displayed a blank expression. "No, not really. He didn't even mention where he was going."

Estelle bit her lower lip.

"If I get a call from him, you'll be the first to know," Flynn pressed on, hoping to ease her worry. "So, don't dwell too much on it, okay?"

Estelle meekly nodded. "…Alright." Inhaling another deep breath, she mustered a grin. "Well, I'm glad it's all over. You guys deserve a break from the workload."

"I know," Flynn agreed with her.

The way how he carried himself with his words, she couldn't help but imagine her friend massaging his forehead and rubbing his tired eyes.

As she recalled from the previous discussions she'd had with Yuri a few days ago, their tight schedules forbid them from getting a decent amount of sleep—as their meetings would begin at the peak of 5:00 am, a few short minutes of break time here and there, then back to work until 1:00 am, and repeat.

Despite how absurd it sounded, Yuri had to explain that it was the only method to get things done faster. To ensure that every single individual present in those meetings would be granted a pass to return home before the assumed deadline, they needed to work twice as long as they normally did to make it come true. In the long run, the team was able to make it work, as evident by Flynn's phone call proclaiming his arrival at Toronto.

"Estellise? I'm gonna have to call you back," Flynn spoke up, gaining the latter's attention. "Patty's been calling me nonstop."

Estellise smiled. "That's okay," She replied softly, "Oh, and Flynn?"

"Hmm?"

"Welcome home."

Her friend lightly chuckled, quite touched by her words. "Thank you, Estellise,"

Withdrawing her phone, Estelle tapped the middle button with her thumb, ending the phone call. Wrapping her arms around her petite form, she sighed, unsure of what to do next. Her eyes scouted the area, taking notice of the clock on the far corner of the wall, right above the shrine.

"12: 05am…" She mumbled lowly, creasing her eyebrows.

She turned her gaze to the thick book laid on her couch, then back to her phone, until finally on the Bodhi Blastia bracelet on her wrist. She then brought a hand to nurse her temple. The day was already over and as much as she wanted to stay up a little more, she knew that she didn't have the strength left in her to do so.

"I should go to sleep." She suggested, nodding to herself. "Yeah, that'll be best."

Standing on her feet, she shuffled her way to her sandals nearby and strode over to the shrine. Bending her knees slightly, Estelle flashed a sweet smile. "Good night, mother," She addressed the woman on the picture and then proceeded to mimic the same action with the other picture of a man. "Good night, father," And then left.

As soon as she took her first step on the staircase, her ears perked up.

Blinking, she frowned. Were her ears deceiving her?

 _RING!_

 _RING!_

 _RING!_

She flinched in her spot, startled by the abrupt noise.

Frowning, Estelle tilted her head back, directing her eyes toward her phone on the coffee table. The second her phone began to vibrate again, she immediately rushed out and stretched her arm to claim the device.

Without thinking, Estelle pressed the middle button and brought it close to her ear. "H-hello?"

"…Hey,"

Recognizing his voice, she smiled brightly. "Yuri!" She cried joyfully.

Yuri laughed. "Missed me?"

"Of course, I do!" Estelle went on, trying her best not to drop her phone, "Why wouldn't I be?" As she said those words, a thought occurred to her. "You know, Flynn called a few minutes ago," She pointed out, "You should call him. He's worried about you."

"Don't worry, I will," He assured her.

Estelle bobbed her head in response. "By the way…" She began, fidgeting awkwardly in her spot. "Flynn also mentioned that you're not with him. Did the two of you have another fight?"

Yuri turned silent.

"Hello?"

"Yeah, I'm still here," He told her, his voice somewhat muffled from the loud noise in the background. "And no, nothing happened between us. Something just came up so I had to go."

Growing curious, Estelle threw in a question. "Yuri, where are you?"

"Hmm…" On the other line, she couldn't seem to hear his voice properly. "Well, I'm looking around and there are trees and buildings." He pointed out, earning a light giggle from the latter. "What? I'm serious." He added in, his voice laced with a hint of teasing. "You asked me where I was, so I described it for you."

"Stop being mean and tell me!" Estelle exclaimed, her grin broadening. "Don't leave me in the suspense!"

Yuri laughed in return. "Maybe I will,"

Estelle pouted. "Yuri!"

"Okay, okay," He replied, smiling cheekily. "If you want to know so bad…"

Before he could finish his sentence, the doorbell rang.

Estelle blinked, surprised that there was someone outside her door. "That's strange…" She mumbled to herself, unsure of what to do next.

"Hey, is everything okay?"

She opened her mouth, wanting to assure him but closed it. Ruminating through her thoughts, all she could say was his name.

"Yeah?"

"Can you…give me a second?" She asked, shuffling over to the end of the hallway to take a good look at her front entrance. "Someone's at my door."

"Sure, take your time." He told her, "Let me know when you're free to talk, okay?"

"Alright, thank you," She quickly said as she proceeded to stroll to her door. She glanced at the doorknob, ready to reach out to unlock it. She took a deep breath and then another, and then another. Tightening her grip on her phone, Estelle hardened her expression.

Once more, she seized hold of the doorknob and twisted it.

As she opened the door halfway, something caught her eye.

Grey leathered boots.

Swallowing the lump of her throat, she slowly moved upwards, slowly taking in the appearance of the newcomer.

Seafoam eyes reunited with ebony.

Her mouth partly opened, unable to process words.

Seeing this, the man in front of her chuckled. With his respective phone resting on his ear, he said, "So? Who was outside?"

Losing her train of thought, Estelle shook her head, a smile graciously surfacing on her lips. "It's hard to say," She admitted, the heavy pressure in her stomach quickly dissipating. "It's someone who looks a lot like you."

"A doppelganger?"

"Could be," Estelle replied, playing along. Leaning closer, she squinted her eyes, eyeing him from head to toe. "Though he looks a bit handsome compared to you."

Yuri winced, "Ouch, that hurts," He said, placing a hand to where his heart was located. "Does this mean we're gonna have to break up?"

"No," Estelle answered without thinking. Lifting her head up, she smiled, already getting lost in the deep pools of ebony. "I believe our journey has only started." Once she said those words, she lowered her phone, dropping her arm to the side.

Yuri did the same, though not before clicking a button to conclude their conversation.

A moment of silence filled the space between them.

"Hey," He greeted her with a wave.

"Hello," She replied back, smiling from ear to ear.

Beaming, Yuri took a step forward, closing the distance.

Suddenly, a mass of weight tackled him, catching him off-guard.

Looking down, he noticed a blob of pink resting against him, along with her arms awkwardly dangling around his neck as if her life depended on it. Ignoring the swirling pain in his chest, Yuri reciprocated the gesture with equal strength. He laughed, "Geez, what's gotten into you?"

"I'm so glad…" Estelle sobbed, burying her face deeper into his chest, "You're here. You're really here…"

Yuri's facial features softened, snaking an arm behind her to bring her closer to him. Resting his chin on top of her head, he inhaled a few whiffs of her strawberry shampoo-scented hair and sighed heavily.

" **I'm home."**

* * *

 **And that's the end of chapter 8!**

 **Hello, everyone! This is Kroissant!**

 **I just want to say thank you so much for supporting me! And don't worry, this chapter isn't the last one! There's more to come! Now that Yuri and Estelle are finally reunited; the next chapter is bound to have a lot of Yustelle fluff for sure! (and also, to make up for lost time and bittersweet ending from the previous chapter)—honestly, I'm glad that I was able to write this out.**

 **As much as I enjoyed the looming drama that was coming in, I was starting to become aware of the agitation and frustration that our main leads not being together and are still separated. Now that they are together in one place, I can finally go beyond the box and explore.**

 **Like I mentioned before, thank you so much for supporting me! I mean, look at this! Three months in and this fanfiction is already eight chapters! Again, thank you so much!**

 **Now that the chapters are well aligned, which means that the Yustelle-focused chapter will be close to the definitive edition release, I could finally get started with Checkmate (would be released in the first week of January)**

 **Comments are always welcome!**

 **I wish you all a happy New Year's Eve and new year (2019)**

 **Stay safe everyone and see you later!**

 **P.S. Suggested songs**

 **Home – Daughtry**

 **Photograph – Ed Sheeran**


	9. One Step Closer

Drops of sunlight filtered through the opening of the window, peeking in and out of the curtains to bear witness to the sleeping pink-haired woman buried within the comforters.

Rolling over to the side, she inhaled a deep breath, whiffing up the smell of melted butter and powdered sugar. Alarmed by this, Estelle fluttered her eyes wide open. She gradually rose from her bed, rubbing her eyes to dispel the blurriness.

Once she recovered her vision, she stood up. Slipping her bare feet into her yellow slippers, she made her way down the staircase, absentmindedly following the delicious aroma to the kitchen. As she angled her body to the right, she abruptly halted in her tracks.

Her eyes widened at the sight of a tall, dark-haired man who wore her yellow apron over his pajamas while his signature, long mane was tied in a ponytail. With one hand resting on the handle of the pan and the other clutching a bowl of mixed batter, he hummed a little tune to himself as he flipped the thin, flat cake multiple times.

From the corner of his eye, he took notice of a pink blur.

Yuri moved his head toward her general direction, grinning cheekily.

"Morning sleepyhead," He greeted her. "You're just in time for breakfast."

Blinking her eyes, Estelle took a moment to process his string of words.

Watching this, Yuri couldn't help but laugh.

"Still half-asleep?" As he said those words, he offered her a suggestive grin. "Or are you enjoying the view?"

Estelle blushed furiously.

"N-no, it's just…" She stammered, pausing briefly to utter a low curse for tripping over her words. "That is, I mean…" Taking notice of her partner's worried expression, she heaved a deep breath and forced out a grin. "Would you…excuse me for just a sec?"

Yuri quirked a questionable eyebrow.

Nevertheless, he nodded agreeably.

"Thank you," She expressed, turning around and strolling through the exit and into the narrow halls.

Upon sighting the bathroom, she quickened her steps.

Seizing hold of the doorknob, she twisted it and went inside. Once she did so, she angled her body around and stretched out to lock the knob for extra measure. Once she settled on the closed seat of the toilet, she buried her crimson face with her hands.

Closing her eyes shut, she began to recall of the memory of late last night.

To her surprise and relief, it was Yuri who showed up in front of her doorstep. And without thinking, she tackled him in a loving embrace. She remembered how he, too was pleased to see her as well, commenting about how his initial plan to surprise her had ultimately paid off. This was shortly followed by Estelle's bubbly giggling and his sweet-sounding laughter intermingling as one—a catchy jingle that even now, continues to ring soundly through her ears.

Shortly after their little moment, Estelle urged him to come inside and in less than a minute, had already started to reheat the leftover curry she made for dinner for him. As always, Yuri appreciated her offer and happily obliged to it.

…As they sat down together in the dining table, Estelle wasted no time as she threw him a question— "Do you have a place to stay overnight?"

And when he admitted that he had forgotten to register a room in a nearby hotel, Estelle quickly jumped on the wagon— "Then, if it's alright with you…would you like to stay tonight at my place?"

Fast-forward to the present time and here she was, suppressing the desire to bounce up and down in excitement. The thought of being together with Yuri again after a few weeks of being separated…such a feeling proved to be difficult to describe with simple words.

"He's really here…" She muttered to herself, blushing furiously, "In my apartment…"

Her mind wandered further—producing possible scenes of him and her engaging in particular activities—walking around outside, making jokes together, having lunch dates, cherishing each other's presence—the possibility of reliving a similar concept to the good old days during their time conducting Project Vesperia made her smile with glee.

"Estelle? You alright?"

Hearing her name, Estelle flinched in her spot.

"Y-yes, I am!" She suddenly cried, "Everything's okay," As she rose to her feet, she immediately grabbed hold of the doorknob one more. Cracking the door halfway open, she popped her head out and looked around.

Upon noticing the man standing on her right, she squeaked.

Yuri slowly approached her. "Come on," He spoke up, extending his hand out for her to take. "I bet your stomach must be grumbling by now,"

On cue, a faint rumble ensued. Estelle squirmed in her spot as she quickly wrapped an arm and secured it around her waist. She dipped her head as her cheeks burned hot.

Hearing this, Yuri mischievously smirked. "See? What did I tell you?" He replied, laughing.

Creasing her eyebrows, Estelle shifted her focus from his sparkling, ebony eyes to his awaiting hand.

Gulping, she accepted it.

Yuri smiled at this, gently tugging her to move forward. Without another word, he led the way. All the while, Estelle stared longingly at his toned broad back through the fabric of his black tank top and to his grey sweatpants. Becoming aware of her wandering eyes, she chewed on her bottom lip and hastily motioned her head to look elsewhere.

Once they were in the dining room, Yuri urged her to take a seat.

Estelle nodded, plopping down on the chair situated on the left side while Yuri took the one across from her. She glanced at the silver plate of breakfast laid before her—a single serving of buttermilk pancakes.

"Sorry if it doesn't suit your tastes," Yuri spoke up as he raked a hand through his hair.

Estelle tipped her head to the side. "What are you talking about?" She wondered, accompanied by a soft smile. "It smells delightful!"

The corner of his lips raised in amusement. "Really?"

Estelle nodded in agreement. "Truly," She affirmed, emphasizing her words. "And well," Averting her eyes elsewhere, she mumbled a few words softly, "If it's from you, I don't mind…"

Yuri blinked. "Did you say something?"

"N-nothing!" Estelle quickly answered, forcing a grin on her face.

Unconvinced, Yuri shot her a weird look.

"Anyway, let's eat!" Equipped with a fork and knife, she cuts the first slice of her pancake and proceeded to take the first bite of it. "Mm! It's shoo fwuffy!"

Yuri laughed earnestly. "It's nothing special, really," He replied, waving his hand dismissively. "Though I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying it,"

Estelle bobbed her head enthusiastically. As she sliced her next piece, she snuck a peek at her partner. Clearing her throat, she called out his name.

"Yeah?"

"I meant to ask you this sooner but…" She trailed off, "How did you manage to find my apartment?"

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Yuri shrugged his shoulders. "I contacted Ioder beforehand," He answered, peering up to face her. "He gave me your address on the way here."

At the mention of her cousin, Estelle could feel her cheeks burning.

Knowing Ioder, he wouldn't hesitate to do so, especially of his awareness of their secret relationship. "O-oh, I see…" And focused her attention back to her breakfast. "Well, I'm really flattered that you came to visit me but…" She took a moment to choose her words carefully before finally settling with, "Wouldn't your mother get worried about you?"

Yuri blinked. "Where'd you hear that from?"

"Flynn once mentioned her in one of our talks,"

Sighing inwardly, Yuri rolled his eyes. "Of course…" He drawled out, shaking his head in dismay. "And to answer your question, she already knows my whereabouts. I already talked to her and Flynn on the phone this morning."

Veering his attention to his half-emptied plate of food, he added in, "She's got Repede and his pups to look after her. She's even close neighbors with Aunt Norin and Uncle Finath…err, Flynn's parents, I mean."

Estelle nodded in understanding. "What about your father?" She pressed on.

This time, Yuri turned silent.

"…Yuri?"

"My dad's no longer around," He confessed, narrowing his eyes. "I don't talk about him as much. Sort of a touchy subject for me."

Realizing her mistake, Estelle lowered her head and mumbled a soft-spoken apology.

"No need to apologize," Yuri assured her, letting out an exasperated sigh. "I'm over it already." He looked back at his plate and forced more food into his mouth, consuming it quickly before rising up from his chair.

"Are you done with yours?" He asked, referring to her own plate.

Shifting her attention to her plate, Estelle nibbled on her lower lip.

"…Yes," She murmured, handing it over to him. "Thank you,"

Nodding, Yuri seized hold of her plate and headed for the kitchen sink to start washing dishes.

Meanwhile, Estelle remained in her seat, pondering over what she had asked him. It's only been a few minutes since they initiated a conversation and yet, she's already dampened the mood.

"So, any plans for today?" Yuri suddenly brought up, changing the topic.

Estelle looked up, surprised to find him staring back at her.

"Oh, uh…" She trailed off, sealing her lips tight to ponder over it.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't seem to catch her male counterpart drying his hands with a dry cloth and slyly making his way behind her. It wasn't until she felt a strong pair of arms snaking their way around her waist that she caught on to his intentions.

Leaning close to her ear, Yuri softly whispered, "Now that we're alone, we can finally do whatever we want,"

Her body trembled—but it wasn't out of nervousness.

Her face was painted in a deep shade of red as she felt his hot breathing tickling her skin. She swallowed her saliva thickly, hesitated. Collecting her hands together, she brought them close to her chest and inhaled a sharp breath as her brain went haywire.

Can he hear it; her heart pounding wildly against her chest?

"I-I…"

Once more, she was at a loss for words. Estelle uttered a low curse under her breath, wanting to slap herself for sounding silly right then and there.

Seriously, doesn't he realize how much he was affecting her?

Suddenly, her ears picked up the sound of laughter. Curious, she peered over her shoulder.

"I'm just pulling your leg," Yuri jested as he released his hold on her, "Man, I miss teasing you like this,"

A breath of air escaped through her mouth, though it didn't seem to dissipate the funny feeling that's building up inside her stomach. "You're mean," She commented, puffing her cheeks.

All Yuri could do was grin cheekily.

"Only for you," He replied back, dipping down to peck her lightly on her nose. "But seriously, is there something you'll like to do?"

Estelle bit on her lower lip as she pondered over the idea.

"I know that…I want to spend more time with you," She admitted, ignoring the burning sensation sprinkled across her cheeks. "If that's alright with you…"

The dark-haired man crossed his arms over his chest, his facial features softening. "I wanna spend more time with you too," He agreed with her, "But to do that, we'll need to make a plan, you know?"

When she didn't have a proper answer for him, Yuri took this opportunity to provide her suggestions. "It's mostly gonna be sunny today so we can go outside," He began as he motioned his head to face the window nearby, "Or if you're not too fond with the cold, we can always stay in and bake a cake or something." A mischievous spark embedded in his eyes as he delivered his next set of words, "If you wanna be a little more daring, we could always try my ideas." And playfully winked.

Registering his words, Estelle could've sworn that her heart nearly skipped a beat.

"A-Actually," She began, tightening her grip on her collected hands. "I've been meaning to show you something for a while now."

Growing curious, Yuri slanted his head to the side. "Oh?"

Estelle smiled inwardly. "But before that, I would like to bring you to some of my favorite places in the neighborhood." A pause. "Though they might not suit your tastes…would you still be okay with that?"

Yuri flashed her a lop-sided grin—an indication that he's on board with her idea.

"Oh my goodness! There's so much I want to show you!" Estelle expressed in excitement, rising to her feet and beaming brightly.

Yuri laughed at her childish antics.

"Thankfully, we've got all the time in the world," He assured her, seizing her hand and squeezing it. "Just say the word and I'll follow."

* * *

Outside, the weather was fair and tranquil.

A few hours had passed and gone, transitioning the once, clear afternoon sky into a crispy marigold shade across the horizon. Bitterly cold and suffocating, Estelle and Yuri trudged through the public streets. Taking a few detours left and right, they found themselves caught up in a large gathering of pedestrians of the public square.

Every few minutes or so, Estelle would find herself idly gazing at Yuri's figure beside her.

Feeling eyes on him, Yuri turned to look at her and cracked a grin.

To prevent any unwanted attention to befall on them, the dark-haired man had to resort to donning heavy-layered clothing with the exception of his grey leathered boots. With the addition to his noticeable long hair and recognizable features, he had to clip his hair into a bun and conceal them inside his hoodie, along with a set of sunglasses. Then again, his decision to disguise himself was reasonable as he and Flynn were pretty much well-recognized actors. Regardless of where they would wander off, there was bound to be at least one admirer or paparazzi within the area.

Fortunately for Estelle, she didn't have to worry about this troublesome issue.

Despite her recent breakout role in Tales of Vesperia and the announcement of their project being released the following week, she wouldn't be officially recognized by the public audience for a good while. And yet, she couldn't help but feel a little concern for the latter's safety.

"You okay?" Yuri asked, growing worried. "You're awfully quiet."

"Yes, I'm alright," She replied, bobbing her head. Her mouth split to produce a half smile. "It's just…" She paused briefly to collect her hands together, bringing them close to her mouth to puff out a breath of warm air. "I sort of underestimated the cold," As she delivered her sentence, she emitted a smile. "But I can manage, so don't worry,"

Shaking his head, Yuri placed a hand on his hip.

"I warned you about this, you know," He told her, though the poker expression written on his features said otherwise. Sighing, he pulled out his gloved hand from the pocket of his jacket and took hold of hers. Pulling her towards him, Yuri gripped her small hand, enclosing it with his large one.

Estelle opened her mouth to speak, only to be close it. She watched as he buried her seized hand inside his pocket together with his.

"…Is that better?"

Blushing furiously, Estelle forced herself to lock eyes with him. Through the dark shades of his sunglasses, she could tell from the way how furrowed his eyebrows were and partly opened his mouth was, that he was patiently waiting for her approval of his recent action.

Smiling sweetly, Estelle responded with a confident, "Yes, thank you,"

"Good to hear," Yuri replied back, laughing away. "So, we visited the local library, went to the sweets shop…" He then lifted two of the brown bags he was currently gripping with his right hand, "Did some grocery shopping," Lowering the bags, he asked, "Anything else on your list, Miss Heurassein?"

"We have one more thing to visit," Estelle said with a fond look. "But for this particular one, you're gonna have to trust me."

Yuri blew a whistle. "You have my interest,"

Hearing this, Estelle's eyes twinkled. "Excellent!" Taking a step forward, she peered over her shoulder and offered him a wide grin. "Could you do me a favor and close your eyes?"

Yuri nodded, doing what he was told as she pulled him along.

"You better not lead me into a streetlamp," He joked, which earned him a light smack on the shoulder. Luckily, the anticipation that's been building up in his stomach was short-lived as Estelle urged him to take a few more steps until she squeezed his hand to stop in his tracks.

"…Alright, Yuri, you can open them!"

Nodding, Yuri reopened his eyes. Blinking a few times, he looked around to inspect his surroundings. A light chuckle escaped his throat. "Well, this is quite the surprise,"

From where he stood, there was an endless supply of Tales of merchandise in all directions. "What is this place?" He wondered aloud.

"It's a Tales shop," Estelle answered, smiling, "Ioder brought me here the other day and it's wonderful!" She then stretched her arm to her right, pointing an index finger toward the shelves filled with various pillows and plush dolls. "See over there? There are some merchandises for Vesperia!"

Yuri cast her a curious look. "Is this where you bought that Repede mug?" When he received an enthusiastic nod, he laughed. "That explains a lot."

"…Do you like it?"

"It's pretty cool," He expressed, walking forward to check out the bag of plush toys. Inserting his hand inside, he then pulled out an adorable-looking plush doll of—

"Is this Flynn?"

Curious, Estelle tipped her head to the side to get a better inspection of the item in his possession. She emitted a light giggle. "What luck!" She gushed, "You know, on my first try, I got Rita!"

Yuri grinned in return. "You don't say?"

"It's quite funny how we both got our best friends," She commented, smiling. Raising her arm, she points her finger in the opposite direction. "If you need me, I'll be over there in the literature section."

"Sure," He agreed, shrugging his shoulders. "I'll probably be wandering around."

Estelle nodded. "I'll see you then!" And just like that, she rushed off.

Placing the Flynn doll in a nearby table, Yuri proceeded to walk around, all the while averting his attention to the stock of goods laid around him—some featuring his and the rest of the main cast members prominent in the marketing.

Something vibrated inside his pocket, catching his attention. Taking out his phone, he was greeted with a message box that came from his childhood best friend. Reading it over, he furrowed his eyes.

Sighing, he tapped the upper right corner of the electronic device, temporarily shutting it off. He then turned to his left, narrowing his eyes as he searched through the mass of people—particularly for a certain pink blob.

It didn't take long until he found her—standing in a small corner behind a large shelf, her full concentration on the book she held with both hands. Such a sight caused him to produce a smile. He strode onward, his eyes trained directly on her form.

Once he was at close proximity with her, Yuri chuckled.

As expected, she doesn't seem to be aware of his presence in front of her. Lifting his arm, he placed his gloved hand on top of her head.

Startled, Estelle flinched in her spot. Peering up, confused seafoam eyes collided with ebony.

"Yuri!" She exclaimed, only to quickly bring a hand to cover her mouth. "Sorry…I didn't mean to say your name."

This time, it was Yuri's turn to be confused. "How come?"

"If I were to say your name here," She began to explain with sadness clouding her features. "Your private life could be in jeopardy."

Yuri smiled. "Thanks, but you don't need to worry about that," He assured her. "I can handle it."

Estelle shook her head. "No, don't say that." She declared, though made sure not to raise her voice. "A-list actor or not, I want you to have a normal life just like the rest of us."

Registering her words, Yuri inwardly smiled. "Someone's getting a treat tonight," He suggested, wiggling his eyebrows.

Such a sight caused the latter to freeze in place. "P-please don't joke about that!" She cried, burying her crimson face into her book.

Removing his hand on her head, he grinned. "Whatcha got there?" He asked, jerking his chin to the book she was currently holding.

Lowering her book, Estelle mustered a sheepish smile. "Tales of the Chosen Exosphere," She explained, "An adventure, fantasy story of friendship and saving the world. The story is very captivating! I highly recommend it!"

"Isn't Symphonia the adaptation?" Yuri pressed on.

Estelle bobbed her head. "Just like how Vesperia is the adaptation of a trilogy series—Tales of the Evening Star."

"You're pretty knowledgeable about this," Yuri pointed out.

The pink-haired woman shuffled her feet. "Oh, no, not really," She admitted, looking the other way. "I enjoy reading the books every now and then."

A moment of silence filled the gap between them.

"Are you ready to go?" Yuri brought up, breaking the ice.

Estelle smiled. "Yes, just give me a minute to purchase this," She replied, closing the book shut and holding it close to her chest.

"Take your time," Yuri assured her, "I'll be waiting here."

Estelle beamed. "I'll be back," Twisting her heel, she headed for the cashier section, leaving her partner to dwell in his own thoughts for the time being. Fishing out his phone, he lightly pushed the middle button. Again, he was welcomed with the same text message.

Swiping the screen and unlocking his password, he selected the box message.

As a result, a keyboard exhibiting a long list of alphabet letters appeared.

 **R u coming to the party?**

Before he could reply back, he received another response. Gazing at the impending question, he groaned.

 **The Director misread the schedule. The party's a few days away.**

"…Seriously?" He grumbled lowly under his breath. "Where is it stationed?"

Typing the same words on his phone, he sent his reply. Right away, another response popped in.

 **Tokyo, Japan.**

 **I'll be chaperoning Patty, Karol, and Rita on their flight there. And u?**

Evaluating the message, he sighed inwardly.

Something lightly tugged him on the shoulder, gaining his attention. Motioning his head over, his slightly widened eyes reverted to its natural degree as he spotted the pink-haired woman standing next to him.

"Everything alright?" She asked, concerned.

"Yeah," Yuri replied, shoving his phone back inside his pocket. He then offered her his hand to which she graciously took hold of. Tugging her gently as he began to lead the way, he threw her a question. "What's next on the agenda?"

Looking up, Estelle smiled brightly, squeezing his hand.

" **Home**."

* * *

The light of the day had long since faded away, transforming into dusk.

And yet, the gradual end of the day didn't seem to affect a certain pair nor their endeavors to spend more precious time with one another.

Inside the kitchen, Yuri and Estelle geared themselves to prepare their dinner—with one holding the responsibility of cleaning and cutting the ingredients while the other mixed them inside a large pot and stir it.

Through their collaborated efforts, the two managed to put together a savory meal.

Few minutes lapsed and after Estelle's turn of washing the dishes, the two resorted to lounge in the living room.

The beginning of their conversation went off pretty well as they shared their personal accounts of their days—recalling of the past memories, experiences, basically anything in regards to the almost two-week separation they've faced. Before they knew it, their exchanges eventually evolved into the humorous game of twenty-one questions.

"Have you ever kissed Flynn?"

Yuri blinked in confusion. "What kind of a question is that?"

"I'm just curious," Estelle replied, pursing her lips. "I mean, I've been hearing rumors and…"

"You're wondering if it's true?" He finished her sentence. Gaining a meek nod, he shook his head in dismay. "Unfortunately, it is."

Estelle's eyes widened. "Really?" She cried all of a sudden, "How many times?"

Yuri shot her a weird look. "Twice," He confirmed, holding up two fingers. "One came from a dare and another to test our sexuality." Such a memory resurfaced from the back of his mind, causing him to shudder. "Honestly, I've had worse."

When he caught sight of the latter giggling uncontrollably, an idea occurred to him. "What about you, Estelle?" He asked, leaning a bit closer. "Have you kissed anyone?"

A smirk materialized across his lips the instant he noticed her shoulder stiffen.

"…Me?" She asked, pointing to herself.

Yuri nodded firmly, eager to hear her response.

Estelle drew in a breath, refusing to meet him eye-to-eye. "I never…" She trailed off, pressing her finger to the center of her lips. "I mean, besides you, I…"

Catching on to what she meant, Yuri's features softened. "You've never kissed anyone?"

"Until you came," Estelle began, lowering her head in embarrassment. "Which means...you're my first."

Yuri's lips crinkled to produce a smile. Reaching out, he gently brushed his hand along her rosy right cheek.

Reaching out, he gently brushed his hand along her rosy right cheek.

Estelle's breathing sharpened, shutting her eyes as she braced herself.

This feeling…for some reason, it's familiar.

She felt his hand rest below her chin and lightly inclined it forward. Cracking one eye open, she saw it—the look in his eyes was so vulnerable with a mix of fear and excitement embedded in.

With his direct focus fixed on her lips, Yuri leans a little closer, though not too much as he was afraid that he'll hurt her. He slowly glanced up and down, eyes to lips, and in doing so, couldn't help but slowly and patiently dip closer and closer…

Once their foreheads touched, he breathed in her scent. He took his time as he knew, deep down, that he had one chance to get this right.

The air around them became too difficult to breathe.

Ever so slowly, he leaned in, brushing his nose against hers.

Gazing into each other's eyes, they remained soundless for so long, simply admiring the other's distinctive features and their overall presence.

Yuri clicked his tongue. Dear god, he couldn't fight against the thoughts that were running through his head. Her smell was intoxicating, folding his senses and—

"Can I kiss you?"

Listening to his words, Estelle's eyes shimmered.

With one look and a soft nod, Yuri closed his eyes and went for it.

It was soft and slow, comforting in ways that words could never describe. His hand rested below her ear while his thumb caressed along her cheek, their breaths mingling as one.

Oh, how he loved the way her small body melted with his…how their lips fit together like two puzzle pieces and the way she ran her fingers down his spine caused him to grip her tighter, closer, until there was no more space left to tear them apart and all that they could feel and hear were the rapid beating of their hearts.

Seconds later, they pulled apart and took shaky, shallow breaths.

They stared at each other for a moment with no words spoken.

Unable to contain himself, Yuri brings a hand behind her head and pulls her in for a fiery and passionate kiss.

Feeling bold, Estelle eagerly reciprocated with her hands working their way around his body, feeling each crevasse, each tiny scars, and scrapes along his toned physique. Yuri, on the other hand, ventured his hands under her yellow nightgown, touching her untainted curved body, exploring and appreciating every tiny detail of his partner.

Everything about this felt right to them.

And as their desire to hold and feel each other intensified, so did their anticipation for the next step.

It wasn't until Yuri realized that his ears picked up her accidental moan that he forced himself to withdraw back.

Opening her eyes, Estelle found him looking back at her with creased eyebrows.

"Are you alright?" She asked him, her breathing still quite heavy and her pulse thrashing madly against her chest. "Did…I do something wrong?"

His lack of answer strengthened her distress.

"Yu— "

She wasn't able to finish her sentence as she watched him dove back, leaning in to brush his lips along her exposed neck, to her collarbone and then captured her lips for a loving, sweet kiss. Estelle inhaled a sharp breath, unable to comprehend what just occurred.

Pulling away, Yuri cast her a comforting look.

"Sorry, I almost lost myself there for a minute," He apologized, raking through his hair in frustration. "If I hadn't restrained myself, I would've done something unforgivable."

Flushing, Estelle bobbed her head. The words she wanted to say remained trapped in her throat.

"Of course, I want to touch you more and do other things too," Yuri confessed, causing the other to blush furiously. "But I want to treasure you, and to do that, I need to restrain myself." Looking up to face her, he genuinely smiled. "I want to treat you more carefully and value you more."

Rising up from the couch, Yuri excused himself to the bathroom.

Now alone, Estelle took a moment to process everything…who would've thought that a simple, innocent kiss led to an intense make-out session?

And his gentle words to assure her, how it pierced through her like an arrow.

"He was restraining himself to protect me..." She mumbled to herself.

Tracing one of her fingers on her lips, she froze.

Even now, they were slightly tingling.

The sound of footsteps caught her attention, prompting her to whirl her head to face the dark-haired man. Approaching her, Yuri insisted that it's best that they should go to sleep.

Swallowing thickly, Estelle nodded her head in agreement. As she got to her feet, she curiously glanced over to him.

"I'll take the couch," He assured her, "I'll see you later, okay?"

Taking a minute to study his face, she plants her hands to her chest and nodded along. Clenching her fists, she twisted her heels and sprinted forward. Going on her tip-toes, she seized the fabric of Yuri's tank top, pulling him in and kissed him.

Albeit forceful, she put up quite the effort, more ferocity though was quick to retreat.

Completely winded, she mustered a goodnight and scurried over to the staircase to enter her loft.

As she disappeared from his sight, a smile unconsciously made its way across his lips.

* * *

Throwing herself on her bed, she quickly reached out for the nearest pillow to bury her face and squeal.

His starry midnight eyes boring into hers.

His touch, his lips, everything about him…

"I can't believe we did that…" She said to no one, her mind drawing a blank. "We kissed and…"

Becoming reminded of their recent activity, her face flushed. "We're in a relationship…" She tried to explain to herself in hopes that it would ease her worry, "This is normal, right?"

Once more, she lightly placed a finger to her lips.

Still warm and tingling, Estelle couldn't help but secretly yearn for more.

* * *

… **SO MUCH FLUFF AND SPICE!**

 **Hello, everyone! This is Kroissant! Thank you for reading chapter nine!**

 **I apologize for my lack of presence in this fanfiction as I was too busy involving myself with checkmate (and playing Tales of Vesperia: definitive edition…) But as promised, here I am, publishing this…err, interesting chapter! (honestly, this whole chapter was not planned and I just went with the flow.)**

 **For the restraining dialogue, I borrowed inspiration and words from the wonderful shoujo manga, Tsubaki-chou no Planet (the main couple gives me alot of Yustelle vibes, so check it out if you are interested!)**

 **For the next chapter, if anyone is curious, we get to explore more about Yustelle's relationship—bear in mind that this chapter is just the TIP OF THE ICEBERG and by the time you read this message, I've already changed the rating from K+ to T (for incoming chapters). I want to express my thanks for your overwhelming support and kudos!**

 **If you like, feel free to comment/make kudos! (they give me strength!)**

 **My next update will focus on checkmate and as for SoSN, for now, it's up in the air (but definitely in February).**

 **See you later!**

 **Also, I hope everyone enjoys Vesperia: definitive edition! (have fun!) – and for the new fans entering the Tales community, welcome!**

 **P.S. Tales of Chosen Exosphere is a reference to Tales of Symphonia**

 **P.S.S. Tales of Evening Star is a nod to Tales of Vesperia**

 **P.S.S.S. Yuri and Estelle obtaining Flynn and Rita's dolls on their first try was not a coincidence as it was a reference to a picture of the two of them holding the latter's respective dolls.**

 **Suggested Songs—**

 **Vesperia – Serenade of the Morning Star**

 **Violet Evergarden – Unspoken Words (kiss/makeout scene)**


	10. Reunion at Last

Ever since that night, the pair would often exhibit displays of affections to one another—quite often with a peck on the forehead or cheeks, placing their hand over the other's, and most recently, snaking their arms around the latter's waist and inhaling their natural scent (For Estelle's case, smelling Yuri's lavender smell would automatically make her drowsy).

Slowly and surely, the intimacy between them was turning into the general norm.

And by the third day, Yuri and Estelle were getting quite comfortable with each other…then again, there were times when the dark-haired man would surprise his partner with a kiss on the neck or take her into his arms and spin her around before dipping her down to steal another kiss on her lips—such actions made the poor woman feel wholesome inside, though at the same time, secretly wished to step up her game as she wanted to be as daring as him.

Such a thought caused Estelle to wonder about Yuri's experience with relationships. From the looks of it, it seemed rather natural for him to initiate such intimate gestures and actions around her as if he'd been doing that for so long. Because of this, it made the pink-haired woman begin to ponder and think if he had other lovers before her…the image of him with another man or woman getting close and sharing a kiss together made her feel insecure about herself.

Once more, Estelle was in conflict with herself—questioning whether she was worthy to be around Yuri and if he'd want her to be a part of his life just like how she willingly welcomed him into hers.

Shaking her head, she inhaled a deep breath.

"No, I trust him…" She uttered lowly under her breath as she sat alone on her bed one night, pondering over her thoughts.

Knowing how the dark-haired man operates, it would take a good while for him to start opening up to her about his inner thoughts, feelings, fears, and his past. For now, she liked where they were—enjoying the other's company and having fun.

"If he's ready to tell me," She told herself, collecting her hands together as she closed her eyes, "Then I'll be there to listen,"

* * *

After lunch, the two headed for the living room settled down on the edge of the same couch and sat across from each other, their legs somewhat tangled together.

With a book resting in her hands, Estelle snuck a peek at the latter who seemed to be preoccupied with his hands. Taking notice of his displeased expression, she spoke up, "Everything alright, Yuri?"

Hearing his name being called, the dark-haired man turned to face her and forced a grin. "Yeah," He assured her, followed by a light chuckle. "Just wondering what to do about the upcoming party,"

Estelle blinked. "…Party?"

Upon realizing what he had said, Yuri abruptly sat upright and locked eyes with her. "Yeah, did you receive a notice about the company celebration?" He saw her shake her head and sighed. "Well, it's stationed at Tokyo," He began to explain as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"How many days?" Estelle pressed on.

Yuri pursed his lips. "Usually, about one night," He went on, "But I was thinking about going there early…you know, to check out the sights,"

Estelle tipped her head to the side. "Judith and Raven live in Japan, right?"

Again, the dark-haired man nodded. "Yeah, and they agreed to house us during our stay. The boys go with the old man and the girls go with Judy,"

The implication of her friends caused the pink-haired woman to slightly widen her eyes. "Does this mean that everyone else is going?"

Yuri produced a grin. "Most of them, yeah," He confirmed, "Flynn texted me the other day, something about chaperoning Karol, Rita, and Patty since the four of them are coming from Canada. And since Judy and Raven are already at Japan, I thought maybe you'll want to go there together with me," Moving his head toward her general direction, he gave her a wink. "Whaddaya say? You and me, together, going to Tokyo for a once-in-a-lifetime party?"

At a loss for words, Estelle bit her lower lip.

Silence filled the air.

Once she was able to compose herself, she spoke up again, "I'll have to talk it over with Ioder first," She explained, lowering her book and setting it down on her lap. "Would that be okay with you?"

Yuri smiled. "'Course," He answered, leaning forward to gently tug a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "Let me know when you're ready and I'll start buying tickets,"

Ignoring the burning sensation on her cheeks, Estelle suddenly cried, "How about I call him right now?" When she received a nod from the latter, she quickly excused herself and headed for the staircase that would lead her to her loft, all the while keeping the book close to her chest.

Unfortunately, she didn't seem to catch the sight of Yuri who widened his grin as he watched her disappear from his view.

* * *

Placing her book on her mattress, Estelle stood still for a minute as she studied her surroundings. It wasn't long before she found her phone which happened to be on the surface of her wooden drawer. Seizing the small device and inserting her passcode, she quickly tapped on the green phone app and pressed favorites which automatically displayed about ten numbers.

As soon as she caught sight of her cousin's name, Estelle pressed the dial button before pressing her phone close to her ear. After a few more rings, the other line picked up.

"Hello?"

"Ioder!" Estelle cried, delighted to hear his voice once more.

The blonde laughed. "Afternoon, Estellise," He greeted her with his usual easy-going demeanor, "What's new?"

Estelle opened her mouth to say something, only to stop herself. Ruminating through her thoughts, she tried to carefully choose the right words to say to him.

Worried, Ioder called out her name.

"I'm still here," She assured him, which earned her a sigh of relief from the other line, "I called you because I wanted to ask a favor,"

"A favor?"

Estelle nodded. "Yes, and well, it's going to sound rather strange but…" She trailed off, her face somewhat flushed as she became reminded of Yuri's words about purchasing tickets and venturing off to Japan together.

"Go for it!"

Estelle flinched, quite surprised to hear those words coming from her cousin. "Wait, what?"

"I said go for it!" Ioder repeated, this time with his voice raised.

Gripping her phone tightly and keeping it close to the shell of her ear, Estelle continued with, "But I didn't even tell you what it is,"

"It's about the company party in Tokyo, right?" Ioder asked with a delightful tone. When he received a soft-spoken, "yeah, that's the one," from the female, he grinned brightly. "Then what are you waiting for? Go, go!"

Estelle rolled her eyes. "Ioder, you're missing the point here," She replied back, sounding stern, "I can't keep going overseas. What happens if I come back and get evicted from my apartment?"

"Dear cousin, no need to fret," The blonde assured to her, "I'm planning not to attend the ceremony anyway. Besides, I have a spare key to your place. Which means that I'll probably drop by and check in, get your mail, and tidy up."

The pink-haired woman's eyes widened.

Before she could protest, the latter beat her to it.

"Seriously, there's no need to worry," Ioder reassured her, his voice becoming softer. Despite his lack of presence, Estelle could imagine her cousin giving her the usual neutral-looking expression that he was known for wearing. "We both know how much you want to go and meet your friends. And I'm confident that Yuri would take good care of you,"

Estelle remained quiet, allowing her cousin to continue with his speech as she intently listened.

"Besides, you've bought presents for each of them, right?" Ioder added in, "Your money would only go to waste if you don't give it to any of them. So, use that excuse to your advantage,"

All Estelle could do was emit a light giggle.

"Ioder," She began, motioning her head to face another framed picture situated on her bedside table—which displayed the two of them as children, smiling together with their respective parents behind them. At the sight of the picture, her eyes softened. "You really don't have to do this,"

"I know," He replied back and she could tell from the way how he said those words that he was probably turning his head to take a good look at the same picture that she possessed, "But I made a promise to Aunt and Uncle that I would take care of you. Even though you're a bit older than me by a few months, I still want to do this," There was a brief pause on his part. "And I love you, you know? We both don't have any siblings but to me, you're the closest thing that I could ever have as a sister…and I know that this is going to sound cliché, but Estellise…I want to see you happy,"

Registering his words, the pink-haired woman swallowed her saliva thickly. "Ioder…" Her ears picked up the sound of his trademark laughter and that alone made her feel warm inside.

"Anyway, what I'm trying to say is," He continued before clearing his throat, "Go to the party with Yuri. Have a safe trip to Tokyo, make up for lost time with your friends—and lead the life that you want. We've got only one, you know, so be sure to make it worth it,"

"I will," Estelle agreed, trying her best not to tear up right then and there, "I promise to take some pictures and send them to you,"

Ioder laughed earnestly. "Looking forward to that,"

After bidding farewell to each other, Estelle lowered her phone and clicked the red button on the screen, ending their call. She remained in silence for a few more minutes as her eyes were focused in on the wallpaper of her phone—it was of her, surrounded by her friends with a certain blonde haired cousin of hers standing next to her with a dumb grin on his face.

Her lips curved upwards. "Tokyo, it is,"

* * *

Thanks to Ioder, the anticipated trip to go to Tokyo was officially established.

After much discussion, both Yuri and Estelle agreed to take the first class (to prevent any fans from recognizing either one of them and with the Vesperia project already out in the public for a few weeks, they needed to do everything with extra caution as it was likely that they were going to be recognizable). According to Yuri, the Tales franchise was quite popular in Japan which could imply that the possibility of them getting spotted in public was twice as likely to happen compared to their home regions.

With this in mind, Estelle was determined to disguise herself in the best way possible—though in the end, resorted to simply wearing glasses, a red scarf around her neck and a pink cotton hat over her short pink bob. Once again, she didn't need to put much effort into her disguise as she was a recently recruited actress…while Yuri, on the other hand, was forced to wear a mask over the lower part of his face, thick sunglasses, and clipped his long mane along with the protection of a hood.

Luckily, Estelle was there to accompany him as there were times when they had to pretend that they were a normal couple going on a vacation (then again, there wasn't much to pretend since they were technically in a relationship).

The flight from Heathrow to Narita Airport was long and excruciating. Since they boarded around 5 pm, they would be entering their destination during the time of sunrise—which happens to ironically share a common theme together with the land of the rising sun.

As usual, the pair were seated together, with Estelle closest to the window and Yuri right beside her and in the duration of their time on the plane, Yuri made sure to educate her on about the party that they were going to in three days' time.

"Almost every year, the Tales company would hold a special party in commemoration to the employees and their efforts," He explained while rotating his spoon in his cup of green tea with his dominant left hand. "Most of the time, it's held to celebrate the next installation of their series. In this case, it's Tales of Vesperia—the same project that we're involved with,"

Curious, Estelle threw in a question. "Does this mean that other representatives from the Tales adaptations would be present as well?" When she received a nod of confirmation, her seafoam eyes sparkled. "Oh my goodness! Does that mean I get to meet Guy Cecil, Mystearica Aura Fende, Luke and Asch Fon Fabre from the Abyss?"

Yuri grinned. "That's what I heard at least," He couldn't help but laugh when he saw his girlfriend cover her mouth as she tried not to scream with excitement. "By the way, did you packed your books?"

Estelle nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, I was planning to read them during my spare time," She explained, her features somewhat flushed. And then a thought occurred to her. Her eyes slowly widened as she said, "Wait, are you saying that…"

"Be sure to bring them with you to the party," Yuri instructed her, followed by another wink. "There's a chance that you might receive their autographs,"

His words were music to her ears.

"I'm so glad that we're going!" Estelle exclaimed, giggling to herself. Once she managed to compose herself, she leaned back against her seat and released an exasperated sigh. "Celebrities I want to meet and a reunion with friends…I can't believe that this is happening,"

"Want me to pinch you?" Yuri offered.

Estelle turned to glance at him and nodded firmly. "Yes, please!" And leaned in to close her eyes, her hands shaped into fists as she prepared for what was about to come. She waited for a few minutes and yet nothing was happening. Growing restless, she cracked one eye open—startled to discover that the latter was already leaning in with an unreadable expression and with his hand lightly brushing along her right cheek, surprised her with a soft kiss on the lips.

The taste of green tea and coffee invaded her mouth, making her head spin.

A minute later and they broke away from each other, eyes slowly fluttering open to gaze at one another with intensity.

"Do you still think you're dreaming?" Yuri asked her, pressing their foreheads together and inhaling her sweet scent.

Blushing furiously, Estelle shook her head. "It's definitely not a dream," She whispered, veering downwards to look at the armrest that separated their seats. "But if it is, I don't want to wake up from it,"

To her surprise, Yuri agreed along with her and just like that, the pair shared another loving kiss, though made sure not to exert too much pressure in fear that if they did, chances of them making out would likely occur.

Once that was over, the two continued on with their usual private conversations.

"When do you think would be the best time to tell everyone about us?" Estelle inquired him as she motioned her head to glance over at the oval-shaped window beside her with their hands intertwined together.

"I don't know," Yuri expressed, rubbing his thumb over the surface of her hand, "I personally like the secrecy of our relationship. Makes it feel a bit exciting, you know?"

Turning to face him, Estelle puffed her cheeks. "Yuri!" And hit him lightly on his shoulder.

Even so, Yuri laughed. "I'm kidding," He admitted, "Whatever makes you comfortable, I don't mind. If you need to declare it to the world, I still won't mind—I'm pretty much cool with anything. Just don't lose yourself into fame, okay?" As he delivered those words, Estelle noticed his pained expression—it was quick and brief but she saw it. "Stay humble and be yourself. I wouldn't know what to do if you start doing unspeakable things for the sake of popularity and money-grabbing…"

A moment of silence ensued.

"…I won't," Estelle finally spoke, earning the dark-haired man's attention. "So long as you and our friends are with me, I promise to not stray away or become consumed with greed or selfishness," With ignited vigor in her eyes, she continued, "And I'll do my best to stay true to myself,"

Yuri stayed quiet as he listened to her declaration. Slowly, he produced a grin. "Now that's what I like to hear," And reached out to take a hold of her hand and squeezed it fiercely. "Then I'll do the same on my end too,"

Estelle beamed. "Here's to the road ahead?" She suggested, which earned her a light chuckle from her boyfriend. "What? Isn't that what our characters would say to each other if they want to continue their journey?" Deep down, the statement felt right to say. And when she peered up to look at the dark-haired man, she couldn't help but smile when she saw him stare back at her with softened eyes.

"To the road ahead then," He agreed, shaking their hands together in a firm grip.

* * *

A few hours have gone by and their trip eventually came to a satisfying conclusion—at long last, they've finally at Narita International Airport.

"We made it!" Estelle exclaimed, smiling away as she pulled her pink luggage forward. With her other hand, she secured her hold on her boyfriend who keenly observed her from behind. As they exited out of the long, winding hallways and entered a large room with people holding large posters, the pair searched around for their own.

Upon sighting a familiar figure, Estelle quickened her pace with Yuri following after her.

"Raven!" She greeted the older man who approached them. Overwhelmed with emotions, she tackled him, causing the latter to stumble backward and drop the large poster in his hands.

Regaining his computer, Raven lowered his chin and chuckled. "Nice ta see ya darling," He expressed, returning the gesture while patting the top of her head. From the corner of his eye, he took notice of Yuri who slightly crouched on his knees to retrieve the large paper.

"Nice to see that you're putting this to good use," Yuri began, referring to the four-shaped star inscribed on the poster, a clear reference to the fictional guild—Brave Vesperia.

After breaking his hug with the pink-haired woman, Raven shrugged. "Karol and Patty recommended it," He explained, accepting the large paper from the latter, "Thought that it'll speed the process, ya know?"

Yuri nodded. "Well, it did," He confirmed, setting a hand on his hip as he sighed. "By the way, Estelle, how'd you recognized Raven if he's in disguise?"

Blinking, Estelle smiled. "Oh, well…" She trailed off, bringing her hands behind her back, "I remember him once telling me how he enjoys wearing a fedora hat, just like what he's doing right now,"

Touched by her words, Raven sniffed. "You know me so well,"

Meanwhile, Yuri rolled his eyes. He averted his attention to his girlfriend who looked back at him with a bright smile of her own. Feeling at ease, he turned back to the older man and said, "Anyway, it's nice to see you in good spirits, old man,"

"How about a hug, eh?" Raven suggested, already spreading his arms wide and urging the other male to do the same. "Come on now, don't be shy!"

Frowning, Yuri shook his head. "I'll pass," He grumbled, using his other hand to rake through his long mane.

Hearing this, Raven groaned, though was quick to recover. "That's too bad," He muttered, turning his head to glance over to the woman in their group and grinned mischievously. "Well, least I got a big old hug from the lady," And flashed a suggestive wink, causing the latter to turn red.

The second he finished his sentence, another person came in.

"Oh, what have we here?"

"Judith!" Estelle exclaimed as she identified one of her best friends right away and once more, tackled her with glee.

The female model chuckled, patting her on the head. "Nice to see you, Estelle," And then peered up to find the dark-haired standing nearby. She watched him perform a wave at her general direction and nodded in acknowledgment, along with a pleasant smile crinkling her lips.

"Glad to see that you both made it safely," Judith began as she broke away from the pink-haired woman's tight hold on her. "Flynn and the others are already here by the way,"

Yuri arched an eyebrow. "You don't say?"

"Right now, they're lounging at my place," Raven explained, bringing his arms behind his head as he swayed from side to side. "You know, even the pooch is here,"

At the mention of the canine, both Yuri and Estelle widened their eyes.

"Repede's here?" Estelle cried aloud, surprised and delighted to hear the news.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Yuri began, suddenly growing impatient. "Let's get going,"

Gathering their belongings, the four adults maneuvered through the busy crowds, at the same time, making sure not to be

"Is the airport always like this here?" Estelle asked, stepping back as she allowed a mother and child to go pass by before resuming forward.

"Not always," Judith commented as she too pulled the pink luggage for support. "Then again, I recall the Director stating that the other representatives of the Tales franchise are coming from all over the world,"

Hearing this, Raven chuckled. "Good thing we're in disguise, huh?" He commented, jogging after them.

Yuri rolled his eyes. "You could say that again," He grumbled as he led the way for his group. "I hear that the Legendia team are having difficulties since one of them is about to start military training in the Mediterranean,"

"Symphonia and Destiny are already here," Raven added in, "Though I'm not too sure if Phantasia would come,"

"Cless is technically the face of the entire Tales company," Yuri pointed out, narrowing his eyes, "He and his team should be there, lest the Director wants to change it up a bit and give that title to someone else,"

"Heard from the boss that you and Lloyd are one of the possible candidates," Raven chimed in, wiggling his eyebrows while making sure to keep pace with the other male's surprisingly swift stride, "Come ta think of it, with how popular you are, I bet you've already won,"

The dark-haired man clenched his teeth. "Don't jinx it, Raven…"

While the two continued to converse privately, the females made sure to follow after them.

"You are going to love Japan, Estelle," Judith replied, "There are plenty of things to explore here and see and now that you are here, I hope to bring you, Rita, and Patty along for a bit of a joyride sometime tomorrow afternoon," Turning her head to glance at her pink-haired friend, she couldn't help but widen her smile as she caught sight of the latter's twinkling eyes.

"You mean it?"

When Judith nodded her head to approve this, Estelle's face glowed like the star she was named after.

* * *

Shortly after packing their belongings into the light blue Honda car which Judith fondly calls, 'Ba'ul'—it was off to Naka-Meguro to meet the others. The ride was fifteen minutes long and roaming through the busy streets, the four friends finally made it to the residential district where they were surprised to discover some of their friends waiting for them outside a two-story wooden building with another poster, similar to the one that Raven used to get Yuri and Estelle's attention at the airport.

As Judith parked her car toward the driveway, she pressed her foot against the middle pedal to trigger the brake. Eventually, the vehicle abruptly stopped and everything was still.

"We're here," She declared, removing her seatbelt and opening the door on her right side.

Afterward, Raven and Yuri followed her example and exited out as well with Estelle emerging out shortly after.

Once they stepped into the outside world, a rambunctious series of squeals and outbursts erupted in all directions. Before they could comprehend what was going on, Karol and Patty ran toward them.

"Yuri!"

"Estelle!"

Filled with joy, the two youngsters ran over to the dark-haired man first, welcoming him with a hug and then proceeding to mimic the same gesture to his girlfriend.

"Karol, Patty!" Estelle greeted as she welcomed them into her arms and giggled when they tackled her in the process, "I'm so happy to see you guys!" From the corner of her eye, she noticed a familiar small mage nearby. Her eyes widened. "Oh my goodness, Rita!"

Flinching in her spot, Rita blushed. "What took you so long?" She exclaimed, walking over to them, only to get pulled into their group hug. "Woah, stop!"

From afar, Yuri keenly observed them with a grin on his face. Turning around, he faced his childhood friend and greeted him with a fist to which the latter reciprocated the gesture.

"The gang's back together, huh?" He commented, pulling the strap of his duffel bag closer to his chest.

Flynn chuckled. "I believe so," He then jerked his chin to the right, "And by the way, Aunt Lily insisted that I brought Repede along for the trip,"

Yuri nodded as he lowered his gaze to pay attention to the blue dog in front of him. "What's up, Repede?" And extended his arm outward to scratch the canine's crown.

Repede wailed, leaning forward to stick out his tongue and lick his owner's cheeks.

Unfazed by this, Yuri laughed.

"Alright, everyone!" Flynn cried, clapping his hands a few times to gain every single individual's attention. "Let's continue the celebration inside!"

"Yeah!" Both Karol and Patty agreed and just like that, rushed off to the entrance of the house with Repede chasing after them.

Judith and Rita assisted their best friend out with her pink luggage and other small boxes while Raven, Flynn, and Yuri went on ahead of them.

Veering her eyes from the building in front of them, then to her familiar figures of her friends, Estelle couldn't help but broaden her smile.

After three weeks of separation, they were finally reunited.

* * *

 **And that concludes chapter 10 of this fanfic!**

 **Hello, everyone! This is Kroissant!**

 **YES, WE ARE OFFICIALLY IN TOKYO, JAPAN AND ARE FINALLY REUNITED WITH EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF BRAVE VESPERIA (AND FLYNN).**

 **Now that we are here, there are bound to be cameos from other representatives of previous Tales games (examples like Phantasia, Symphonia, Abyss, and Legendia that are mentioned)**

 **Also, this is where the test of Yustelle's relationship begins-especially now that they are Japan as it just so happens to be a lot more fans of Tales compared to that in other western countries.**

 **Quick update-I've been pondering for a while now and realized that the Valentines Day prompt is out of season which means that I'm left with no choice but to cancel it entirely (however, in replacement of this, next weekend-I will be releasing a one-shot to make it up)**

 **Speaking of the weekends, that will be my new schedule: every weekend, I will be posting new chapters for SoSN, checkmate and other one-shots/spinoffs. Once again, the spinoff date is still in the works and am waiting for the right time to begin writing.**

 **That's all for now and it's wonderful to be back writing SoSN! Also, thanks to the extensive practice I've done with Father and Son, my writing and timing has vastly improved since then so please look forward to more chapters every weekend!**

 **That's all for now, thank you, everyone!**

 **As always, please leave kudos in the Ao3 community and comments! I'm always eager to listen to your opinions and your open criticisms!**

 **Have a wonderful day, everyone!**


	11. Budding Starlight

**Hello, this is Kroissant!**

 **Due to my studies and taking a breather from writing/posting stories online, I was unable to update as much as I wanted. To make up for the lost time, I managed to produce a new chapter for SoSN, along with another one in the works that would later be updated either later today (Monday) or during the weekends.**

 **For now, take your time and enjoy reading!**

* * *

Dinner at Raven's place was enjoyable yet fleeting.

For the most part, every single member of the Vesperia main cast was able to relax and unwind and to make up for the lost time, were eager to share their experiences in their respective lives.

Ever the energetic boy, Karol was the first to speak up.

Since he arrived at the airport together with Rita and Patty, he remained under the care of the Mordio family for three days, attending a dinner in a fancy restaurant and lending a hand on managing the triplets while Rita's parents were out to work. Once that was over, his father came over to pick him up, though took a while as he conversed with Rita's father who happened to be one of his best friends, and bidding farewell and thanking the Mordio family for their warm hospitality, Karol and his father returned home to the suburban area of Toronto where his mother and their golden retriever waited for their arrival.

"And then we had this big party with the neighborhood folks!" The youngest member of their group exclaimed, raising his arms high above his head in sheer excitement. "And there was so much Venetian cuisine, courtesy of my Nonna and— "

"Okay, okay, we get it," Rita interrupted, causing the latter to pause midway in his speech. Motioning her head to face him, she shot him a glare and said through clenched teeth, "Just get straight to the point already!"

Processing her words, the young boy pouted. Releasing an exasperated sigh, Karol eventually complied. "Alright…" He softly murmured under his breath as he lowered his arms back on the dining table, quite oblivious to his friends who wore amusing and pleasant expressions on their faces. "Anyway, there was a party, spend some time hanging out with my friends and doing errands, walking the dog, and then all of a sudden," He then gestured his chin over to the braided blonde girl sitting beside him and went on, "Patty over here called me up and said something about a ceremony we have to attend!"

Judith tipped her head to the side, smiling as she listened. "From the looks of it, I'm guessing that your parents agreed to the idea unless Rita came with you, right?"

Both Rita and Karol exchanged glances for a brief moment before quickly averting away.

"Honestly, I wasn't too keen to join," The short brunette grumbled, bringing a hand to nurse her aching forehead. "Especially since my brothers are difficult to supervise,"

"That's understandable," Estelle joined in, smiling sweetly, "By the way, how's Ryan?"

"He's feeling much better compared to the last time you've seen him," Rita assured her best friend, blowing a few strands of her bangs while leaning back against her chair. Folding her arms over her chest, she added in, "Might have to contact Mama and Papa later tonight about his current status,"

Listening to her words, the ponytailed man stationed on the right side of the table laughed. "Oh, what's this I hear?" He began, wiggling his eyebrows in a teasing manner. "Our little Rita worried for her brothers?"

Much to his surprise, the teenager was quick to flash him a death glare on the spot. "That a problem?"

Raven sheepishly grinned and looked away, whistling to himself.

Rita scoffed, refusing to say more.

Even so, the spread of laughter among her friends allowed her to feel a growing sense of comfort and warmth inside her. Rita mustered a tiny smile, though was quick to revert back when she noticed Karol and Patty grinning widely toward her general direction.

"Anyone else would care to share their adventures?" Judith spoke up, once the spread of laughter gradually ceased. Examining the entire room, as well as keeping an eye out on a certain canine who seemed to be sprawling on the carmine-dyed carpet in the living room, she eventually locked eyes with bright seafoam. "What about you, Estelle?"

As soon as the haired woman heard her name being called, she slightly flinched. "W-what about me?"

The older woman broadened her smile as she innocently asked, "What were you doing before you came here?"

Feeling the intense stares of her friends solely on her and the pressure slowly building up inside her, she shuffled awkwardly on her seat, inhaling a deep breath as she attempted to recall what she'd done three weeks after their departure. To her delight, the first thing that came to mind was her dearest cousin. "I spend some time together with Ioder, wandering around and memorizing the sights in our old neighborhood…" She started as she smiled to herself. "Sometimes, he'd come over and visit me from time to time. And when I was by my lonesome, I— "

Suddenly, a memory emerged from the back of her mind and before she knew it, found herself becoming swept in by the misery of being alone.

All alone by herself, nobody except for the pictures of her deceased parents welcoming her for her safe return, and the eerie silence of her footsteps lightly echoing as she scampered back and forth to make preparations for her cousin's daily visits, and in some nights, she'd communicate with her friends through the phone, via text messages or video calls, eat by herself in the dining table, read a few chapters of the books she'd purchased beforehand or often times, watch episodes of her favorite television series.

And when it was time for her to go to sleep, it was her routine to approach the shrine and say goodnight to her parents, head upstairs to her loft, and go to sleep on her own. Since her separation from her friends, Estelle would find herself having nightmares of being alone or becoming abandoned by her friends, and it was times like these that she felt fortunate that her cousin, Ioder (though embarrassing as it sounded), managed to offer her a gift—a plush version of her boyfriend, Yuri and with his presence alone, she was able to sleep soundly for a few days.

And when Yuri arrived on her doorstep, there were no more nightmares to speak of and the bitter feeling of loneliness and despair dissipated in the drop of a hat. Once more, Estelle felt grateful to have the man in her life.

But the rest of it?

No, Estelle was persistent to keep them to herself in fear of becoming embarrassed.

"Estelle?'

The pink-haired woman bit her bottom lip, and yet when she lifted her chin to take a look at her worrisome friends, she forced a grin. "I'm okay," But she knew, deep down, that she wasn't. Unlike the people around her who led promising lives, hers, in particular, was nothing of the sort. Never once did she felt inferior toward them but rather…she personally felt like she wasn't enough to be integrated into their lives. As she prepared herself to continue, something warm was placed on her hand.

Looking down, her eyes slightly widened.

There, underneath the table, was a large hand implanted on top of hers—warm and inviting, encouraging and patient—just like him.

Becoming reminded of the positive memories she had together with the man, Estelle smiled. "…read some books, cook a few meals, and would visit the Tales of Shop during my spare time,"

"There's a Tales Shop in your area?" Patty suddenly exclaimed, completely perplexed. When she gained a nod from the latter, she pouted. "Man, you're sooo lucky! Flynn and I don't have that in our neighborhood…"

Estelle giggled. "Actually, I went ahead and bought a few gifts for each and every one of you," She explained and watched as the younger members of their team widened their eyes and dropped their mouths open.

"Wait, you serious?" Karol cried aloud.

"Really?" Patty squealed, waving her arms frantically and hitting her poor brother a few times.

Again, Estelle nodded.

Both Patty and Karol cried with excitement, leaning close to give each other high-fives in the process.

"Patty, be careful!" Flynn cried out as he took a hem of her blue dress from behind with Yuri doing the same on the other with the use of his available hand.

"I think that's enough sharing," Yuri points out, catching the others' attention. "We've got plans for tomorrow, don't we?"

Judith smiled. "We sure do," She confirmed. Turning her head the other way, she fixed her gaze on the older man sitting across from her and said, "I'll be taking the girls off your hands for the night and let them stay over at my place,"

Raven pouted. "You sure you wouldn't wanna stay a little longer?"

"If we do, there's a chance that Rita might end up doing something," Judith reminded him and just like that, every single person in the dining table became reminded of how the short teenager, in a fit of anger, managed to ruin the poor old man's day by purposely starting a fire during one of his rehearsals.

"You've got a good point there…" Raven mumbled, shaking his head.

Judith emitted a light giggle, followed by a pleasant grin. "Then, I believe it's settled. Tomorrow, it'll be a girls' day out and then we'll be meeting you boys in the ceremonial party the day after," She declared, "Sound good?"

Everyone in the room nodded their heads in response.

And just like that, Judith dismissed herself from the dining table and entered the living room to fetch her car keys. "I'll be starting the engine. Estelle, Rita, Patty—I'll meet you guys outside,"

Once she left, the younger girls made no hesitation to jump out from their chairs to grab their luggage, with Karol and Flynn trailing after them.

With Raven leaving next, Yuri and Estelle found themselves alone in the dining room.

"Thank you," Estelle finally spoke up, breaking the silence.

Yuri turned to look at her, smiled, and without warning, slightly bent down to give her a quick peck on the temple. "You sure you're okay, though?" He wondered, sounding concerned. "You looked a bit frazzled for a second when you were talking,"

"I'm fine, really," Estelle assured him with another one of her false smiles. "But thank you again," She extended her hands forward, seized hold of his and intertwined them together, "for giving me support,"

"Anytime," And gave her another sweet kiss, this time on the nose. Wrapping his arms around her waist, the dark, long-haired man pulled her closer and inhaled her strawberry scent. "Damn, I'm gonna miss you,"

Hearing this, Estelle blushed. Seconds later, a trace of giggle slipped past her throat. "It's only one day,"

"I know," Yuri murmured, placing his chin on top of her head as he closed his eyes, "Guess this means I've been so accustomed to your presence lately,"

Estelle closed her eyes as she too sniffed her boyfriend's natural scent of lavender and gradually found herself beginning to grow sleepy. "I could say the same thing for myself," She felt his chest rumble with laughter, and that alone was enough to make her feel safe and right at home.

* * *

With the help of the boys, the three luggage was secured in the trunk of the car. After a short farewell, along with Repede's somber barking and Karol bouncing up and down as he waved them goodbye, Judith and the girls ventured off to the streets.

Unlike Raven's place—located in the district of Naka-Meguro, Judith's apartment was situated in the bustling neighborhood of Moonachie at Yokohama, famous for its shopping, dining and entertainment sites, which mainly featured the central shopping area where an endless array of boutiques and stores are stationed. Well-known for its cosmopolitan atmosphere, fashion trends and western influence—Yokohama was a befitting place for someone such as Judith.

"Wow, so pretty!" Patty wondered aloud, her large eyes twinkling like starlight as she popped her head out the window, smiling widely as a burst of cold wind passed by and blew across her face.

Sitting beside her was the short brunette, who happened to be shivering madly in her seat.

Taking notice of this, Estelle, who sat on the front together with Judith as their designated driver, moved her head and called out the young girl's name.

"Yeah?"

"You don't mind if you could close the window for a few minutes?" Estelle asked her politely.

Patty pouted, "Fine…" And did what she was told.

As she pressed the button to make the tinted window ascend upwards, Rita eventually heaved a sigh of relief. "Thanks a bunch, Estelle," She expressed to her best friend, who in return smiled warmly.

Switching her focus back to the large mirror in front of her, the pink-haired woman leaned back on her seat and allowed herself to become immersed with the blazing polychromic lights around them.

"You alright, Estelle?" Judith asked curiously.

Estelle bobbed her head, "Yeah…"

"That's good," Judith replied, tightening her grip on the steering wheel as she slightly angled to the right, initiating the movement of her car to do the same. "By the way, how are things going with you and Yuri?"

As expected, Estelle stiffened in her spot. "J-Judith!" She cried, her face turning beet red.

Unfortunately, Judith managed to grab the attention of the other pair seating behind them.

"Woah, what's this about who?" Patty suddenly intruded, growing interested.

"Is this true, Estelle?" Rita joined in, leaning forward to get a chance to listen in on their conversation.

Estelle squirmed in her seat, feeling rather hesitated to speak up. "H-how did you…" She trailed off, sneaking a glance at the older woman who simply smiled.

"I was surprised to see you two together in the airport," She explained to her with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "And since we've been making bets on while we were on set, I was happy to discover that you guys were able to reciprocate your feelings with each other,"

"Ioder filled me in with the details," Estelle replied, lowering her gaze at her joined hands and ignoring the burning sensation of her flushed face.

"How did this whole thing start between you and Yuri?" Patty questioned rather excitedly as the thought of her other older brother figure dating a wonderful woman such as Estelle made her feel giddy inside. "I wanna know all of the details!"

And to their astonishment, even Rita was willing to go on board with this.

Once again, Estelle found herself in a spotlight with people patiently waiting for her response, their stares quite intensive and eager to consume her words.

Collecting her hands and bringing them close to her thrashing heart, Estelle closed her eyes and cracked a smile. "Well, for starters…Yuri was the one who took the first step," She began, "After we finished the last scene where our characters had a heart-to-heart when we were heading back to join you guys in the cabin, he kissed me all of a sudden…"

Patty blinked, "Wait, was that why you rushed off that day when Karol and I were asking you to play Clue with us?" When Estelle confirmed this with a subtle nod, the blonde girl dramatically gasped. "Oh my god! What happened next, what happened next?"

Estelle took a moment to ruminate through her thoughts, becoming swept with emotions as she recalled the newfound memories she made with the dark-haired man. Unconsciously, she smiled and unknown to her, her friends snuck glances at each other with adoring smiles.

"Well, let's see…" She went on, tipping her head to the side. "When it was time for us to leave the facility, Yuri would often update me with information about the conferences that he and Flynn would partake on a daily basis. After a few more weeks, he surprised me by arriving on my doorstep and from there, well…"

Patty beamed. "Yes, yes?"

Rita frowned, her cheeks slightly blushing as she listened intently. Meanwhile, Judith nodded to herself as she would constantly shift her attention from her best friend to the road ahead, moving the steering wheel back and forth before eventually pressing the brake as the street light, slowing down and abiding by the glowing red color of the street lights overhead.

"For the past few days, Yuri was a wonderful addition to my daily life," Estelle admitted to them, "And he was always gentle, willing to assist me with the house chores and give me some space when I needed it the most," As she said those words, she suddenly became reminded of her boyfriend donning her yellow apron and making pancakes, held hands with her during one of their occasional walks around the public park and that was enough to make her cheeks reddened, "He would make the best fluffy pancakes, help me purchase groceries, walk around the park and read books together…"

Judith let out a light-hearted laugh. "You two sound like a married couple already," She commented, causing the latter to blush. "Anything else exciting?" Leaning a bit closer, she added in, "Did you guys do the thing yet?"

"…What thing?"

When she took notice of Judith wiggling her eyebrows suggestively, the pink-haired woman squeaked. "N-no, we haven't!" She exclaimed, though the quick exchanges of glances between her friends proved this to be otherwise. "I mean, we did make-out that one time, but— "

"Oh my god!" Patty shrieked again, moving her arms animatedly like an ecstatic fangirl.

"Patty, calm down!" Rita called her out as she tried to settle the poor girl back on her seat, growing more irritated when she found out that the latter wasn't wearing the familiar safe device across her chest. "And wear your seatbelt for heaven's sake!"

While the two continuously bickered in the background, Judith took this opportunity to surprise Estelle by prodding her with another question, "Did you guys do it yet?"

Her friend swallowed her saliva thickly, fidgeting with her fingers as she cleared her throat. "We would often get close to actually…err, doing the deed but…." And then the memory of Yuri's speech, about how much he wanted to treasure her and restraining himself in fear that he'd hurt her, and how softened his eyes were and tone of voice when he was openly expressing himself to her and that alone was enough to make her crack a smile. "Time and time again, Yuri would stop and tell me that for my benefit, we shouldn't do it, unless I'm ready,"

Hearing those words, Judith grinned amiably, "Good to hear," She said and withdrawing her hand from the steering wheel, proceeded to pat the latter fondly on the head. "I was confident that Yuri would take good care of you," All of a sudden, her eyes narrowed and she spoke in a low voice, "But let me know if he does something, and I'll do what I can to set him straight, okay?"

Estelle blinked a few times, taking a moment to drink in her words until finally settling with a sweet smile. "…Okay," She replied back, bowing her head a little. "Thank you so much, Judith,"

Judith winked in return. "That's what friends are for,"

* * *

And for the next hour, all they could do, with Rita and Patty included, was to make up for the lost time with an abundance of recollections that they've discussed earlier at Raven's place. After another thirty minutes, the four friends have finally arrived at their destination—sandwiched between two similar-looking apartments, along with a local seven-eleven nearby was none other than Judith's penthouse, on the fourth floor.

"Yay, we're here!" Patty rejoiced, raising her arms high with glee.

Rita, on the other hand, staggered out of the vehicle along with her small bag in tow. "Finally, we can sleep…" She grumbled and walked over to the trunk to seize hold of her other possessions, with Judith and Estelle following her example.

Once Patty immediately grabbed her bright blue suitcase embellished with glittery stickers, she quickly exclaimed, "The last one there's a rotten egg!" And scurried off to the staircase of the apartment.

Witnessing this, Rita scowled. "Hey, come back here!" She cried, rushing after the young girl in distress.

From a distance, Judith and Estelle watched them and exchanged knowing glances.

Placing a hand close to her cheek, all the older woman could do was shake her head and mumble softly, "My, my, everything is going back to the way it should be,"

Estelle, who stood close to her, overheard this and couldn't help but silently agree.

Shortly after they made it inside Judith's penthouse, after another few hours of poking fun of each other and assigning themselves with the two rooms available to them—under Flynn's suggestion, Patty would be sharing a bed together with Judith with Rita and Estelle occupying the other room which luckily consisted of two spare mattresses, it was time to go to sleep.

Surprisingly, as soon as Patty dove into the Futon bedding, she slept right then and there.

"I'll see you two later in the morning," Judith informed her best friends while entering through her respective bedroom. Pausing in her steps, she peered over her shoulders and added, "What would you like to eat for breakfast besides pancakes?"

Rita folded her arms over her chest, pondering for a brief moment. "…Hard-boiled eggs, I guess," She mumbled, averting her gaze the other way.

Estelle smiled and nodded in agreement. "Orange juice or herbal tea would be wonderful as well,"

Judith chuckled lightly, "Excellent," She responded back, sending them a wave, "Go to sleep now, the both of you. We've got a lot of things to do in the morning," And off she headed back inside her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

"I'll hit the hay," Rita began, scratching the back of her head as she ambled back to the room across from where they currently stood. Reaching out for the doorknob, she proceeded to twist it halfway, though before she could go inside, she paused abruptly and turned around. "You coming, Estelle?"

Her best friend stood in silence, causing her to grow worried. "Estelle?" She repeated her name, this time a bit louder.

"You go on ahead, Rita," Estelle assured her with a small smile on her face, "I'll come and join you later,"

The teenager frowned a little. "Fine, whatever," She mumbled, shrugging her shoulders in a carefree manner. "Be sure to come back and sleep, you hear me?"

"Yes," Estelle quickly answered, smiling widely. "Good night, Rita,"

Rita dipped her chin a little, "Night…" And then left to go inside their bedroom.

Once she was finally left alone, Estelle took the opportunity to wander around the penthouse.

Time and time again, she would always find herself marveling by the extravagant lives of her friends. For a typical girl hailing from a lower-middle-class family, the world of entertainment was such a foreign place for her to be in. And yet, through the many experiences she'd shared together with her friends and the many places around the world she'd traveled in a span of a year, her viewpoint about everything vastly changed for the better. Deep down, Estelle remained the same as always—ever the curious and knowledgeable woman she was, and with the addition of her career as a budding actress, the more she was eager to learn more and understand of the world that her friends have become well-accustomed to.

No doubt that there were times in her life when she would question her choice of becoming an actress. Sometimes, Estelle would secretly wish to become a teacher and surround herself with children, and at the same time, a children's author—which ironically and to her delight, were the same dreams that her character, the princess, sought to pursue in her journey.

Sliding one of the glass patio doors to the open balcony, Estelle walked through and took a deep breath of the chilly, open air. The bright lights, the spectacles, and view of the skyscrapers towering high above the heavens—how fortunate she was to have witnessed such a perfect panorama scene on her first night in Japan.

With a smile etched on her flush face, the pink-haired woman withdrew her phone from the pocket of her cream wool sweater and raised the device in front of her. When she was able to get a perfect shot of the eye-catching sight, with the use of her right hand, she pressed the middle button to capture it. "Ioder will love this for sure," She said to herself, smiling sweetly. Seconds after she managed to acquire the photo and send it immediately to her cousin, a set of numbers appeared on the screen.

Reading the name of the caller, Estelle felt her heart thump louder.

Once more, she clicked the middle button and bringing the electronic device close to the shell of her ear, softly whispered, "…Hello?"

"Yo," A familiar baritone voice responded on the other line, much to her delight.

Fighting the urge to giggle, Estelle looked to the other direction of the patio and replied back with, "Salutations to you too, Yuri,"

"How's everything?" He questioned, "Were you and the others able to get to Judith's place?"

Estelle confirmed this with a soft and assuring "Mm," For some reason, she could picture her boyfriend splitting his lips to a satisfied and relieved grin.

"Sounds like you're having fun,"

"I am, actually," She admitted, leaning her back against the brick wall as her seafoam eyes drank in the beauty of the night view of the city. "Hanging out with the girls has been a refreshing change of pace,"

"Same goes for me too with the boys here," Yuri agreed with her.

Estelle giggled. "So, Mister Lowell, care to explain why you called me in the middle of the night?"

"Just checking up on you, is all," Yuri answered back, his voice becoming more of a whisper, "And also, to say goodnight to you,"

Feeling flattered by his words, Estelle inwardly smiled.

"You're blushing, aren't you?" Yuri wondered with a teasing tone in his voice.

On cue, Estelle felt her face burn rather hot. "N-no, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are," Yuri replied mischievously.

Puffing her cheeks, she suddenly realized how childish they both sounded and began to laugh to her heart's content.

Listening to her laughter, Yuri joined in as well. "Feeling better?"

"Yes," The pink-haired woman answered in a playful manner, "Thank you so much. You always seem to know whenever I feel down,"

"Call it instinct," Yuri told her, which caused her to erupt into a fit of joyful laughter. "But to be honest, hearing you laugh puts me a lot at ease,"

Estelle blushed at his comment. "I…also feel the same way," Raising her head, she took in the wonder of the collection of stars in the pitch-black night. "I can't wait to see you again in the ceremonial party,"

Yuri smirked, "Can't wait to see you too. But for now, just relax and have fun with the girls,"

"And what about you?" Estelle went on, "Any plans with Flynn and the others?"

"Flynn and I received a call from the Director to attend a meeting regarding the party," Yuri explained to her, followed by an exasperated sigh. "Karol and Raven wanted to pitch in so we're probably going to spend the whole day making plans, confirm any members of the community that would be arriving, and so on,"

"They must really enjoy you and Flynn's company to get you to participate," Estelle pointed out.

"You think so?" Yuri wondered, "Sure, I don't mind helping out but sometimes, it can be a pain,"

"I'm sure you'll be alright," Estelle encouraged him, "I'll be sure to message you a few times to boost your strength every now and then,"

Yuri boisterously laughed. "Looking forward to that," Once his laughter ceased, he quickly reverted to his soft voice and said, "You should go get some rest,"

"I will," Estelle assured him, "You should do the same,"

"Yes, Mom," Yuri sighed, letting out a light-hearted chuckle as he imagined his girlfriend puffing her cheeks as she exclaimed his name on the other line. "Sleep tight, Estelle,"

"You too, Yuri," Estelle replied to him with a softened expression. "Good night to you,"

And just like that, the phone call ended.

Unable to get rid of the smile on her face, Estelle twirled around and headed straight back inside the confinements of the penthouse, back to the warmness and enticing atmosphere of the new world she's entered, where the friends she'd proudly call her family warmly welcome her presence.

Slowly but surely, the doubt she felt inside of her was beginning to dissipate.

And for the first time, she felt ready to face the world and the new changes that were about to come.

* * *

 **And that concludes the end of chapter eleven!**

 **This chapter is mostly centering on our main heroine, Estelle, and her current situation. For the most part, she's been hesitated about where to go along with her career as an actress and encountering a new life-transition: acquiring a relationship with Yuri.**

 **Oh and if you are wondering about where we are currently standing, we've entered the second act out of the three acts that I've planned for this fanfiction. Despite the staggering updates, I assure you that I'm committed to completing this wonderful story hopefully by the end of this year or so. For now, please be patient as I'm doing my best, making sure that this content remains high quality, exciting, and relatable.**

 **For the next chapter, we'll be focusing on the girls and their day out, as well as a short introduction of the Tales party that I've been foreshadowing for so long.**

 **Once again, thank you so much for the support!**

 **Feel free to comment down below on what you think! (I'm open and eager to hear your opinions and your criticisms!) and in the A03 community, leave kudos if you'd like!**

 **Until then, please wait patiently for the next update!**

 **Thank you one and all!**


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